The first edition of the Revista Colombiana de Anestesiología / Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology, 2010 is published within the framework of the so-called "Social Emergency" declaration on behalf of the Government, through Decree 4975 of December 23rd, 2009 and at a time of electoral transition. This fact highlights the fact that the profession transcends the OR and the doctor´s office environment into a number of social and political interrelations that shape the practice of the profession and the responsibility of both health-care professionals and researchers. Hence it is appropriate to revise the role of the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation -SCARE- of the journal and the profession within the framework of the relationships of other worldwide renowned organizations.

As anesthesiologists we should not overlook the impact of the legislation over our professional practice and thus make a detailed examination of the causes that led to Decrees 073, 075, 126, 127, 129, 131, 132 and 133 of 2010 and follow their evolution. The Revista Médico-Legal (Nº1, 2010), also published by the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation -SCARE- will take over the task of analyzing this matter. However, as an agent of social cohesion, with deep-rooted academic, scientific and professional interests, SCARE represents a vital forum for the political and social dynamics in the country.

In our capacity as a scientific -professional society aware of the strength of our joint action, it is interesting to consider the book "The Logic of Collective Action. Public Goods and Theory of Groups" written by the economist Mancur Olson and translated into Spanish. The first issue came to life at the School of Economics, Harvard University. (1, 2).

In the chapter on professional groups, the author who during his training received inspiration by the theory of economic rationality and functionally was influenced by academicians like Galbraith and Talcott Parsons, quotes the work by Oliver Garceau (3) describing the growing strength of the American Medical Association (http://www.ama-assn.org). The decision of adopting a professional Association type of organization supports the theory of the secondary product of the large pressure groups, because membership has always been - according to Grant, "the first rule" in the guild system (4).

According to Garceau, there is a "formal service of society that the physician can barely escape from. Defense in case of negligence has become a prerequisite for the practice of the profession" (3). Furthermore, he says:

"[...] The many technical publications of the American Medical Association, and the State and local medical societies also provide the physician with considerable incentive to become a member of organized medicine. The American Medical Association not only publishes its acclaimed Journal, but many other technical journals as well, on various medical specialties. Since the nineteenth century, the Journal has been ´a tangible appeal for doctors´ " (3).

He goes on to saying:

"[...] The importance of this appeal is probably shown by a survey done in Michigan, revealing that 89 % of physicians received the Journal of the American Medical Association and 70 % red the journal of a State Society, while less than 30 % read any other type of "medical literature" (3).

In our particular case, the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, SCARE, with 60 years as a scientific-professional society, dates back to the 20^th Century and is relatively young as compared to other scientific societies in the United States or in Europe, some of which date back to the 17^th Century such as the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge which is the most ancient scientific society in the United Kingdom and one of the oldest in Europe (5).

With regards to this particular journal, the results of the readability study (8) done by the Research Department of SCARE have just been published and indicate that 82 % of anesthesiologists read the Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology, pointing to an appropriate evolution in the consolidation of the scientific community of anesthesiologists in their various fields of action. Proof of that is the increasing frequency at which articles describing the results of research work developed at the most renowned universities in the country and Ibero-America are submitted to our editorial committee.

Moreover, in February 2010 we were informed that the Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology had been accepted to the World Association of Medical Editors, WAME, after the meeting held in Oslo, Norway. Furthermore, we were accepted at EBSCO, one the most popular databases around the world.

According to Mancur Olson, "[...] there is in fact a pervasive trend towards compulsion by professional associations generally". "The trend", writes the Frenchman De Lancey, "is towards professional organizations" (6). This is what many other scholars have observed as well: "One of the characteristics of the professional association policy", according to V. O. Key, "is its tendency to search for reality if not invariably the form of a guild system" (7).

Such observations, from the point of view of this American theoretician of economics and sociology, sheds some light about the 60-year job of the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation that as a scientific-professional society does not only gather anesthesiologists, but brings together all the health care professionals who through the Fondo Especial para Auxilio Solidario de Demandas, FEPASDE (Special Fund for Solidarity Assistance for Legal Claims), protects over 40 thousand health care professionals in the country.

As J. A. C. Grant said "[...] the guild has returned. Its purposes are the same as in the Middle Ages. The guild-form of organization is often adopted not just by ancient and learned professions", it is still alive (4). Continuing with Grant´s statements: "[...] Moreover, the modern associations or professional guilds are beginning to look like "miniature governments". He says they have "[...] all types of power usually exerted by the government". State governments grant the professional groups the authority to rule themselves" (4). In this respect, the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, maintains a federate structure whereby every one of the 21 sector organizations around the country are governed by their by-laws under an annual Assembly.

The advantages of being a member and maintaining good relationships with a professional association may be clearly illustrated by the experience of the members and readers of the Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology. Oliver Garceau, author of the classical book about the American Medical Association, mentions the advantages of collective and individual benefits offered by being a member of the association.

According to Garceau, there is

"[...] a formal service of the society that the physician can barely give up. Defense in case of negligence has become a critical requirement for the particular practice of the profession" (3).

The many technical publications of the American Medical Association, and the State and local medical societies also provide the physician with considerable incentive to join organized medicine (3).

To stress this point, Garceau says that the journal has been "the main source of income to the organization" (3). Most of these resources, says Garceau, come from adds placed by the pharmaceutical companies, but these adds enabled these companies to get the approval of the American Medical Association for their products (3). According to Garceau, The Conventions of the American Medical Association and of many of its member organizations, also provide the technical information that doctors need and hence give the member "[...] a direct return in education" (3) on the investment on fees, as is also the case with the medical journals.

The readers of the Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology are invited to look up the results of the activities of SCARE with regards to some of these issues, included in SCARE´s Annual Report 2009, CORPOSCARE, SCAREABOGADOS and the Insurance Agency, available in Internet at www.scare.org.co.

All of this can then be summarized in the words of Mancur Olson who states:

"[...] in sum, by providing a useful defense against negligence claims, publishing medical journals that members need, and making their conventions educational as well as political, the American Medical Association has offered its current and potential members diverse selective or non-collective benefits; benefits that, different from the organization´s political achievements, can be denied and thus represent an incentive to join the organization" (1).

He goes on to say:

"[...] It wouldn´t use coercion nor sell collective benefits, if it were exclusively a lobbying organization. Consequently, the impressive political strength of the American Medical Association and of its local groups is a by-product of the non political activities of organized medicine" (1).

To conclude, anesthesiologists in Colombia will be well organized and strong as long as there is a strong cohesiveness among the scientific and cultural society and the professional organization; this leads to an increasing number of members joining the Society and to a strengthening as a group of collective action vs. the State and the civil society at this time of emergency.

The articles that you will find in the next pages, scientific research work, review articles and health care reports, are a sample of the academic accomplishments of anesthesiologists, of their research teams and their strength in their professional field and show a continued interest in the advancement of the profession for the benefit of the Colombian population and of patients in general.

REFERENCES

1. Olson M. The logic of collective action: public goods and the theory of groups. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; 1971.

2. Olson M, Calvet Pérez R. La Lógica de la acción colectiva : bienes públicos y la teoría de grupos. [1* ed. México ; España etc.: Limusa; 1992.

3. Garceau O. The political life of the American Medical Association. Cambridge, Mass.,: Harvard University Press; 1941.

4. Grant JAC. The Gild Returns to America, II. The Journal of Politics. 1942;4(04):458-77.

5. The_Royal_Society. History of the Royal Society. Internet London: The Royal Society; 2009 updated 2009; cited 2010 02/20; Available from: http://royalsociety.org/History-of-the-Royal-Society/.

6. DeLancy FP. The licensing of professions in West Virginia. Chicago, Ill.,: The Foundation press, inc.; 1938.

7. Key VO. Politics, parties, and pressure groups. 4th ed. New York,: Crowell; 1959.

8. Sociedad Colombiana de Anestesiología y Reanimación, SCARE. Informe anual, Bogotá, SCARE; 2009.