The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly infectious, with the current pandemic causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. As large numbers of frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) have also been infected and several have died, there is much global concern about protective measures for them, particularly those performing surgery or other procedures with close patient contact. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been and there remains a shortage in the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), including the N95 filtering facepiece (FFP) respirator, for HCWs. N95 respirators have filtration efficiency of 95% of aerosol particles. Surgical N95 respirators are used where fluid resistance is also required together with respiratory protection, e.g. during surgery or interventional procedures. The shortage of N95 respirators may be overcome by extended use and reuse - comprising rotation and decontamination by approved techniques. The additional role of powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) is also discussed.
The scapula is a flat, triangular bone overlying the posterior chest wall and forming the posterior aspect of the shoulder girdle. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous description of a notch of the medial aspect of the superior border of the scapula in the literature. The imaging findings of a supero-medial scapula border notch mimicking a bone tumour are presented in this case report.
Opacification of both Cowper's glands and ducts is a rare finding in urethroqraphv.' Its demonstration almost always indicates an abnormality in the posterior urethra or posterior aspect of the bulbous urethra. Conversely, its visualisation may be a diagnostic pitfall, and may lead to misinterpretation. We present a case delineating both Cowper's glands and ducts, to illustrate its anatomy so as to help differentiate it from pathological conditions.
In part two of "Preparing effective illustrations", the other three categories, viz. photographs, radiological images and diagrams, are discussed. Illustrations provide visual information to supplement the results in a scientific paper, and create a visual impact that can improve the readability of a paper. This article provides some basic guidelines to assist authors in preparing effective photographs, radiological images and diagrams.
Illustrations (also known as figures) are visual representations of the results obtained from a scientific study. Graphs are a common type of illustration that are often used in scientific papers to present information clearly and effectively, as well as to demonstrate relationships between variables in the data. Graphs also serve to reveal trends or patterns in the data. This article provides some basic guidelines to assist authors in preparing effective graphs for their papers.
The discussion section comprises the last component in the IMRAD system. The purpose of this section is to provide the interpretation of the results obtained, explain the implications of the findings, state study limitations and make suggestions for future research. This is a critical part of the scientific paper, as it places the particular study within the broader context of how the research contributes to improving diagnosis, treatment or patient care.
After submission and acceptance of a scientific paper by a journal, the final stages in the publishing process are copy-editing and proofreading. The primary purpose of this step is to ensure accurate and quality production of scientific papers. Authors are responsible for checking their proofs properly and in detail, ensuring that everything is correct as this is their last chance to make any changes before their work is set in print forever.
A bibliographic database is an organised digital collection of references to published literature. A bibliographic database may be general in scope or may cover a specific academic discipline. There are many types of medical and general bibliographic databases. They cover biomedical and scientific literature, morbidity and mortality statistics, therapeutic regimens, medical records, images and reviews of evidence-based medicine. Getting to know these databases will help researchers and authors to enhance their writing and publishing endeavours.
A technical note is a short article giving a brief description of a specific development, technique or procedure, or it may describe a modification of an existing technique, procedure or device applicable to medicine. The technique, procedure or device described should have practical value and should contribute to clinical diagnosis or management. It could also present a software tool, or an experimental or computational method. Technical notes are variously referred to as technical innovations or technical developments. The main criteria for publication will be the novelty of concepts involved, the validity of the technique and its potential for clinical applications.
A case report is a description of a single case with unique features. This includes a previously-unreported clinical condition, previously-unreported observation of a recognised disease, unique use of imaging or diagnostic test to reveal a disease, previously-unreported treatment in a recognised disease, or previously-unreported complication of a procedure. Case reports should be short and focused, with a limited number of figures and references. The structure of a case report usually comprises a short unstructured (or no) abstract, brief (or no) introduction, succinct but comprehensive report of the case, and to-the-point discussion.
When writing scientific papers to share their research findings with their peers, it is not enough for researchers to just communicate the results of their study; it is equally important to explain the process by which they arrived at their results, so that the study can be replicated to validate the observations. The materials and methods section is used to describe the experimental design and provide sufficient details so that a competent colleague can repeat the experiment. A good materials and methods section will enable readers to evaluate the research performed and replicate the study, if necessary.
Tables are used in scientific papers to present information in a concise and efficient manner. Tables are able to provide information at any desired level of detail and precision. Presenting data in a table rather than as part of the text is also an effective way to reduce the length of the text. This article provides some basic guidelines to assist authors in preparing clear and effective tables for their papers.
Statistical methods are reported in a scientific paper to summarise the data that has been collected for a study and to enable its analysis. These methods should be described with enough detail to allow a knowledgeable reader who has access to the original data to verify the reported results. This article provides basic guidelines to aid authors in reporting the statistical aspects of the results of their studies clearly and accurately.
The purpose of the results section is to present the main data collected and the observations made during the research. It provides interpretation of the analysed data and does not contain details on the methods, materials or discussion. The first step in writing the results section is to review the analysed data and determine which results to present. This can be done by deciding which results are relevant to the question(s) presented in the introduction, and may be supplemented by illustrative tables and figures. The results section guides the reader through the questions investigated in the study and sets the stage for the discussion in the next section.
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) aims to combine the best available scientific evidence with clinical experience and individual judgment of patient needs. In the hierarchy of scientific evidence, systematic reviews (along with meta-analyses) occupy the highest levels in terms of the quality of evidence. A systematic review is the process of searching, selecting, appraising, synthesising and reporting clinical evidence on a particular question or topic. It is currently considered the best, least biased and most rational way to organise, gather, evaluate and integrate scientific evidence from the rapidly-changing medical and healthcare literature. Systematic reviews could be used to present current concepts or serve as review articles and replace the traditional expert opinion or narrative review. This article explains the structure and content of a systematic review.