ARTICLE TITLE: Desperate diseases, desperate measures: Tackling
malignant hypertension in the 1950s
ARTICLE SOURCE: Am Heart J (United States), Aug 2001, 142(2)
p197-203
AUTHOR(S): Ventura HO; Mehra MR; Messerli FH
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Cardiology, and the Section of
Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Ochsner Medical Institutions,
New Orleans, La.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The conquest of malignant hypertension is one
of the most important medical achievements of the second half of the
20th century. As we enter the new millennium, it is critical to
examine the efforts that have led to our ability to treat this once
incurable disease. METHODS: Review was performed of the literature
from 1900 to the 1950s regarding the etiology, clinical evaluation,
and treatment of hypertension, focusing on malignant hypertension.
RESULTS: Fifty years ago, in a time of sparse treatment options, the
occurrence of malignant hypertension was a dreaded event that taxed
the aptitude of the clinician. Confronted with an "extreme disease,"
physicians chose to use "extreme methods of cure" in conformity with
the teaching of Hippocrates. In the 1950s malignant hypertension was
treated with such drastic measures as rice diet, sympathectomy, and
intravenous pyrogens. CONCLUSIONS: In the practice of medicine today,
while work is being done to reassert biomolecular mechanisms, we
still face patients who have reached the end stages of failure and
manifest devastating morbidity. These patients are subjected to
"extreme therapies" reminiscent of those that surrounded malignant
hypertension in the past. In an era when adequate treatment of
hypertension has become a reality for so many patients, it is
appropriate to give credit to those who paved the way to such great
progress.
ARTICLE TITLE: Urgent coronary bypass surgery for failed
percutaneous coronary intervention in the stent era: Is backup still
necessary?
ARTICLE SOURCE: Am Heart J (United States), Jul 2001, 142(1)
p190-6
AUTHOR(S): Shubrooks SJ; Nesto RW; Leeman D; Waxman S; Lewis SM;
Fitzpatrick P; Dib N
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA.
sshubroo@caregroup.harvard.edu.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
CONCLUSIONS: Although use of urgent coronary bypass surgery (UCABG)
for a failed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is currently
very low, there are no satisfactory predictors, patients requiring
UCABG are frequently clinically unstable, and availability of
stenting does not reliably eliminate the need for UCABG or result in
a decrease in mortality. This small group of patients continues to
require readily available surgical standby.
MB: I am not surprised. There would obviously need to have the
facilities to fix up the mess ups.
ARTICLE TITLE: Body morphology and the speed of cutaneous
rewarming.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Jul 2001, 95(1)
p18-21
AUTHOR(S): Szmuk P; Rabb MF; Baumgartner JE; Berry JM; Sessler AM;
Sessler DI
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas,
Houston Medical School, 77030, USA. pszmuk@anes1.med.uth.tmc.edu.
MAJOR SUBJECT HEADING(S): Body Surface Area; Body Weight
[physiology]; Rewarming
MINOR SUBJECT HEADING(S): Adult; Child, Preschool; Child;
Hypothermia, Induced; Infant; Middle Age; Neurosurgical
Procedures
INDEXING CHECK TAG(S): Comparative Study; Female; Human; Male;
Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Clinical Trial; Journal Article
CONCLUSIONS: Infants and children rewarm two to three times faster
than adults, thus rapidly recovering from accidental or therapeutic
hypothermia.
ARTICLE TITLE: Complications and treatment of mild hypothermia
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Aug 2001, 95(2)
p531-43
AUTHOR(S): Sessler DI
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Outcomes Research Institute and Department of
Anesthesiology, University of Louisville, Kentucky 40202-3866, USA.
sessler@louisville.edu.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
MB: I am wondering if there is not some repetition herre.
ARTICLE TITLE: Preoperative intradermal acupuncture reduces
postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, analgesic requirement, and
sympathoadrenal responses
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Aug 2001, 95(2)
p349-56
AUTHOR(S): Kotani N; Hashimoto H; Sato Y; Sessler DI; Yoshioka H;
Kitayama M; Yasuda T; Matsuki A
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Anesthesiology, University of
Hirosaki School of Medicine, Japan. nao@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
CONCLUSION: Preoperative insertion of intradermal needles reduces
postoperative pain, the analgesic requirement, and opioid-related
side effects after both upper and lower abdominal surgery.
Acupuncture analgesia also reduces the activation of the
sympathoadrenal system that normally accompanies surgery.
MB: Dr Sessler travels s lot. Texas, Kentucky, Japan. In the year
2001 he also has publications from France, Belgium, Austria &
Missouri.
ARTICLE TITLE: Fiberoptic orotracheal intubation on anesthetized
patients: do manipulation skills learned on a simple model transfer
into the operating room?
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Aug 2001, 95(2)
p343-8
AUTHOR(S): Naik VN; Matsumoto ED; Houston PL; Hamstra SJ; Yeung RY;
Mallon JS; Martire TM
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Centre for Research in Education, Department of
Anesthesia, Mt Sinai Hospital, Univesity of Toronto, Ontario,
Canada.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
CONCLUSION: Fiberoptic orotracheal intubation skills training on a
simple model is more effective than conventional didactic instruction
for transfer to the clinical setting. Incorporating an extraoperative
model into the training of fiberoptic orotracheal intubation may
greatly reduce the time and pressures that accompany teaching this
skill in the operating room.
ARTICLE TITLE: Effectiveness of epidural blood patch in the
management of post-dural puncture headache [In Process
Citation]
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Aug 2001, 95(2)
p334-9
AUTHOR(S): Safa-Tisseront V; Thormann F; Malassine P; Henry M; Riou
B; Coriat P; Seebacher J
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery,
Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Universite Pierre et Marie
Curie, Paris, France. valerie.safa@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
CONCLUSIONS: Epidural blood patch is an effective treatment of severe
post-dural puncture headache. Its effectiveness is decreased if dura
mater puncture is caused by a large bore needle.
ARTICLE TITLE: Comparison of metaraminol and ephedrine infusions
for maintaining arterial pressure during spinal anesthesia for
elective cesarean section [In Process Citation]
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Aug 2001, 95(2)
p307-13
AUTHOR(S): Ngan Kee WD; Lau TK; Khaw KS; Lee BB
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care,
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin.
warwick@cuhk.edu.hk.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
CONCLUSIONS: When used by infusion to maintain arterial pressure
during spinal anesthesia for cesarean section, metaraminol was
associated with less neonatal acidosis and more closely controlled
titration of arterial pressure compared with ephedrine.
ARTICLE TITLE: The upper respiratory tract infection (URI)
dilemma: fear of a complication or litigation?
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Aug 2001, 95(2)
p283-5
AUTHOR(S): Cote CJ
PUBLICATION TYPE: Editorial
ARTICLE TITLE: Comparison of closed-loop controlled administration
of propofol using Bispectral Index as the controlled variable versus
"standard practice" controlled administration.
COMMENTS: : Anesthesiology. 2001 Jul; 95(1):1-2/21358073
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Jul 2001, 95(1)
p6-17
AUTHOR(S): Struys MM; De Smet T; Versichelen LF; Van De Velde S; Van
den Broecke R; Mortier EP
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Anesthesia, Ghent University
Hospital, Belgium. Michel.Struys@rug.ac.be.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Clinical Trial; Evaluation Studies; Journal
Article
CONCLUSION: A closed-loop system for propofol administration using
the Bispectral Index (BIS) as a controlled variable together with a
model-based controller is clinically acceptable during general
anesthesia.
ARTICLE TITLE: Automated anesthesia: fact or fantasy?
COMMENTS: : Anesthesiology. 2001 Jul; 95(1):6-17/21358075
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Jul 2001, 95(1)
p1-2
AUTHOR(S): Glass PS; Rampil IJ
PUBLICATION TYPE: Comment; Editorial
ARTICLE TITLE: Spinal anesthesia at the cervicothoracic level.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Anesthesiology (United States), Jul 2001, 95(1)
p266-8
AUTHOR(S): Hatzakorzian R; Robbins R; Plourde G
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Anesthesia, McGill University,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
MB: They choose neuraxial block because the patient did not want a
GA. They choose high puncture because there was spinal deformity. It
just show how resilient humans are.
ARTICLE TITLE: Road traffic fatalities in Victoria, Australia and
changes to the trauma care system
ARTICLE SOURCE: Br J Surg (England), Aug 2001, 88(8) p1099-104
AUTHOR(S): McDermott FT; Cordner SM; Tremayne AB
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: The Consultative Committee on Road Traffic
Fatalities in Victoria, Southbank, Victoria, Australia.
annt@vifp.monash.edu.au; Collective Name: Consultative Committee on
Road traffic Fatalities.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The aim was to identify organizational and
clinical errors in the management of road traffic fatalities and to
use this information to improve Victoria's trauma care system.
METHODS: A multidisciplinary committee evaluated the complete
ambulance, hospital and autopsy records of 559 consecutive road
traffic fatalities, who were alive on arrival of ambulance services,
in five substantial time periods between 1992 and 1998. Patients who
survived more than 30 days were excluded. Errors or inadequacies in
each phase of management, including those contributing to death, were
identified and an assessment was made of the potential preventability
of death. RESULTS: Findings between 1992 and 1998 were similar. In
1998, 1672 problems were identified in 110 deaths with 1024 (61 per
cent) contributing to death. Eight hundred and forty-two (50 per
cent) of the total problems occurred in the emergency department.
There were frequent problems in initial patient reception and medical
consultation, resuscitation, investigation and assessment (especially
of the abdomen and head), and in transfer to the operating theatre or
to a higher-level hospital. Victoria's combined preventable and
potentially preventable death rate has been unchanged between 1992
and 1998 (34-38 per cent). CONCLUSION: The problems identified led to
a Ministerial Taskforce on Trauma and Emergency Services in Victoria
as a consequence of which a new trauma system is now being
implemented.
ARTICLE TITLE: Need for secondary interventions after endovascular
repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Intermediate-term follow-up
results of a European collaborative registry (EUROSTAR)
ARTICLE SOURCE: Br J Surg (England), Aug 2001, 88(8) p1127-34
AUTHOR(S): Nyamekye IK
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: The Vascular Unit; Worcester Royal Infirmary;
Ronkswood Branch; Newtown Road; Worcester WR5 1HN; UK.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
ARTICLE TITLE: Randomized study comparing cardiac response in
endovascular and open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair [In
Process Citation]
ARTICLE SOURCE: Br J Surg (England), Aug 2001, 88(8) p1059-65
AUTHOR(S): Cuypers PW; Gardien M; Buth J; Peels CH; Charbon JA; Hop
WC
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Departments of Surgery and Cardiology, Catharina
Hospital, Eindhoven, Department of Surgery, St Joseph Hospital,
Veldhoven and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus
University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
CONCLUSION: Haemodynamic changes were less severe and there was a
lower incidence of myocardial ischaemia during endovascular
repair(EVAR) than during open repair (OR). Studies are needed to
demonstrate whether this may reduce the operative mortality rate.
MB: I don't think that those studies wiil be done.
ARTICLE TITLE: Performance indicators from routine hospital data:
death following aortic surgery as a potential measure of quality of
care.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Br J Surg (England), Jul 2001, 88(7) p964-8
AUTHOR(S): Rigby KA; Palfreyman S; Michaels JA
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Sheffield Vascular Institute, Northern General
Hospital, Herries Road, Sheffield S5 7AU, UK.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article; Multicenter Study
CONCLUSION: Crude mortality rates used as an indicator of performance
are subject to bias and distortion owing to the collection of
incorrect information, variation in patient selection between
hospitals and case-mix differences. There was a considerable
variation in selection and outcomes of patients undergoing aortic
surgery in this study.
ARTICLE TITLE: Meta-analysis of low molecular weight heparin in
the prevention of venous thromboembolism in general surgery.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Br J Surg (England), Jul 2001, 88(7) p913-30
AUTHOR(S): Mismetti P; Laporte S; Darmon JY; Buchmuller A; Decousus
H
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Thrombosis Research Group, Clinical Pharmacology
Unit, University Hospital, Saint-Etienne and Medibridge Clinical
Research, Velizy, France.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article; Meta-Analysis
CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may
be regarded as a reliable surrogate endpoint for clinical outcome in
studies investigating thromboprophylaxis in general surgery. Low
molecular weight heparin (LMWH) seems to be as effective and safe as
of unfractionated heparin (UFH). Determination of the optimal dose
regimen of LMWH for this indication requires further
investigation.
ARTICLE TITLE: Detecting coagulation disorders of pregnancy:
bleeding time or platelet count\
ARTICLE SOURCE: Can J Anaesth (Canada), Jun 2001, 48(6) p515-8
AUTHOR(S): Samama CM; Simon L
PUBLICATION TYPE: Editorial
MB: They don't really know.
ARTICLE TITLE: Compound A: does it matter?
ARTICLE SOURCE: Can J Anaesth (Canada), May 2001, 48(5) p427-30
AUTHOR(S): Eger EI
PUBLICATION TYPE: Editorial
MB: It's written by Eger so you can blame him if you get into
trouble.
ARTICLE TITLE: Management and outcome of cardiogenic shock
complicating acute myocardial infarction in hospitals with and
without on-site catheterisation facilities.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Heart (England), Aug 2001, 86(2) p145-9
AUTHOR(S): Barbash IM; Behar S; Battler A; Hasdai D; Boyko V;
Gottlieb S; Leor J
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Cardiology Department, Soroka Medical Centre,
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev,
Beer-Sheva, Israel.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article; Multicenter Study
CONCLUSIONS: The greater use of invasive and interventional
procedures in hospitals with catheterisation facilities is associated
with improved survival of patients with acute myocardial infarction
complicated by cardiogenic shock. Immediate availability of invasive
care facilities will improve the outcome of cardiogenic shock in the
community setting.
ARTICLE TITLE: Physical training as a therapeutic measure in
chronic heart failure: time for recommendations.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Heart (England), Jul 2001, 86(1) p7-11
AUTHOR(S): Tavazzi L; Giannuzzi P
PUBLICATION TYPE: Editorial; Review; Review, Tutorial
ARTICLE TITLE: Antibiotics before dental procedures for
endocarditis prophylaxis: back to the future.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Heart (England), Jul 2001, 86(1) p3-4
AUTHOR(S): Morris AM; Webb GD
PUBLICATION TYPE: Editorial
ARTICLE TITLE: Do not resuscitate.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Heart (England), Jul 2001, 86(1) p1-2
AUTHOR(S): Handley AJ
PUBLICATION TYPE: Editorial
ARTICLE TITLE: Role of stenting in coronary revascularisation.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Heart (England), Jul 2001, 86(1) p104-12
AUTHOR(S): Gershlick AH
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK.
agershlick@aol.com.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial
ARTICLE TITLE: Advances in hepatocyte transplantation: a myth
becomes reality
ARTICLE SOURCE: J Clin Invest (United States), Aug 2001, 108(3)
p367-9
AUTHOR(S): Lee LA
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Division of Gastroenterology, The Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 1012,
Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
ARTICLE TITLE: Effect of controlled hypercapnia on cerebrospinal
fluid pressure and operating conditions during transsphenoidal
operations for pituitary macroadenoma.
ARTICLE SOURCE: J Neurosurg Anesthesiol (United States), Jul 2001,
13(3) p255-9
AUTHOR(S): Korula G; George SP; Rajshekhar V; Haran RP; Jeyaseelan
L
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Anesthesia, Christian Medical College
Hospital, Vellore, India.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized
Controlled Trial
The authors conclude that controlled hypercapnia is effective in
producing descent of the suprasellar portion of a pituitary
adenoma.
ARTICLE TITLE: Effect of prophylactic ondansetron on postoperative
nausea and vomiting after elective craniotomy.
ARTICLE SOURCE: J Neurosurg Anesthesiol (United States), Jul 2001,
13(3) p207-12
AUTHOR(S): Kathirvel S; Dash HH; Bhatia A; Subramaniam B; Prakash A;
Shenoy S
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Neuroanesthesia, All India Institute
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
kathirvels@yahoo.com.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized
Controlled Trial
We conclude that ondansetron 4 mg given at the time of dural closure
is safe and effective in preventing emetic episodes after elective
craniotomy in adult patients.
ARTICLE TITLE: A case in point.
ARTICLE SOURCE: J Neurosurg Anesthesiol (United States), Jul 2001,
13(3) p187-8
AUTHOR(S): Cottrell JE; Hartung J
PUBLICATION TYPE: Editorial
MB: It's about therapeutic hypothermia and why earlier studies were
enthusiastic but the big study was not. ie NEJM
2001;344:556.
ARTICLE TITLE: Twelve weeks of exercise training increases muscle
function and walking capacity in elderly predialysis patients and
healthy subjects.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Nephron (Switzerland), May 2001, 88(1) p48-56
AUTHOR(S): Heiwe S; Tollback A; Clyne N
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Physiotherapy, Karolinska Hospital,
Stockholm, Sweden. Susanne.Heiwe@ks.se.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
Elderly predialysis patients had lower muscle function and mobility
as compared with elderly healthy subjects, but were able to improve
both after 12 weeks of exercise training to the same extent as
elderly healthy subjects.
ARTICLE TITLE: Effect of postural change on blood volume in
long-term hemodialysis patients.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Nephron (Switzerland), Jan 2001, 87(1) p27-34
AUTHOR(S): Ookawara S; Suzuki M; Yahagi T; Saitou M; Tabei K
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Internal Medicine, Yamagata
Prefectural Central Hospital, 428-8 Nishikawa-machi,
Nishimurayama-gun, Yamagata-ken, 990-0702 Japan.
MAJOR SUBJECT HEADING(S): Blood Volume [physiology]; Kidney
Failure, Chronic [physiopathology]; Posture
[physiology]; Renal Dialysis
MINOR SUBJECT HEADING(S): Aged; Hematocrit; Kidney Failure, Chronic
[therapy]; Middle Age; Serum Albumin
INDEXING CHECK TAG(S): Female; Human; Male
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
ARTICLE TITLE: Epidural anesthesia-analgesia shortens length of
stay after laparoscopic segmental colectomy for benign pathology.
ARTICLE SOURCE: Surgery (United States), Jun 2001, 129(6) p672-6
AUTHOR(S): Senagore AJ; Whalley D; Delaney CP; Mekhail N; Duepree HJ;
Fazio VW
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic
Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Aggressive postoperative care plans after open
colectomy may allow earlier discharge, especially in conjunction with
preoperative thoracic epidural anesthesia-analgesia using a local
anesthetic and narcotic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
the role of thoracic epidural anesthesia-analgesia using bupivacaine
and fentanyl citrate in reducing lengths of stay after laparoscopic
colectomy (LAC). METHODS: A consecutive cohort of patients who
underwent LAC and who received perioperative thoracic epidural
anesthesia-analgesia (TEG) was compared with a standard group of
patients (STD) undergoing LAC during the 2 months preceding the
implementation of the epidural management protocol. Patients with TEG
received 6 to 8 mL bupivacaine (0.25%) and fentanyl citrate (100
microg) through a T8-9 or a T9-10 epidural catheter before the
incision was made and a postoperative infusion of bupivacaine (0.1%)
and fentanyl citrate (5 microg/mL) at 4 to 6 mL/h for 18 hours. STD
patients had supplemental intravenous morphine. The postoperative
care plan was otherwise identical between the 2 groups. Patients were
matched by sex, age, and type of segmental resection. Discharge
criteria included tolerance of 3 general diet meals, passage of
flatus or stool, and adequate oral analgesia. Length of stay was
defined as the time from admission for the surgical procedure to
discharge from the hospital. Statistical analysis included a Student
t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, chi-square trend test, and Fisher
exact test where appropriate. Data are presented as mean +/- SEM.
RESULTS: Procedures performed were: right hemicolectomy-ileocolectomy
(TEG, n = 5; STD, n = 5); or sigmoid colectomy-rectopexy (TEG, n =
17; STD, n = 17). There was no significant difference with respect to
operating room (OR) time (TEG, 102 +/- 12 minutes; STD, 87 +/- 17
minutes), body mass index (TEG, 26 +/- 2; STD, 26 +/- 2), or American
Society of Anesthesiologists class (I-III) distribution (TEG,
3/12/10; STD, 4/11/7), or mean incision length (TEG, 3.5 +/- 0.4 cm;
STD, 3.7 +/- 0.3 cm.) No postoperative complications or readmissions
occurred in either group. The length of stay decreased in the TEG
group (TEG, 2.8 +/- 0.2 days; STD, 3.9 +/- 0.3; P <.001) and the
median length of stay for the 2 groups was similarly less (TEG, 2
days; STD, 3 days). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that thoracic
epidural anesthesia-analgesia has a significant and favorable impact
on dietary tolerance and length of stay after LAC. A thoracic
epidural appears to be an important component of a postoperative care
protocol, which adds further advantage to after laparoscopic
colectomy (LAC without the need for labor-intensive and costly
patient care plans.
MB: Not randomised so there was probably no real difference. How
could one justify such an invasive form of post-operative
analgesia?
ARTICLE TITLE: Redundant surgical publications: tip of the
iceberg?
COMMENTS: : Surgery. 2001 Jun; 129(6):653-4/21287436
ARTICLE SOURCE: Surgery (United States), Jun 2001, 129(6) p655-61
AUTHOR(S): Schein M; Paladugu R
AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: Department of Surgery, New York Methodist Hospital
and Cornell University Medical College, 516 Sixth St., Brooklyn, NY
11215, USA.
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal Article
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: A redundant publication is one which duplicates
previous, simultaneous, or future publications by the same author or
group or, alternatively, could have been combined with the latter
into one paper. As there is no information about the extent of this
problem in the surgical literature, we set out to assess the
incidence, spectrum, and salient characteristics of redundant
publications in 3 leading surgical journals. METHODS: Original
articles (excluding reviews, editorials, abstracts, and letters)
published during 1998 in the journals Surgery, The British Journal of
Surgery, and Archives of Surgery were searched by using the on-line
search engine PUBMED. Each original article was scrutinized to
identify redundancy by combining the names of the first, second, and
last authors with a few key words from the title. Papers were defined
as "suspected" redundant publications if they were found to address
the same topic as the "index" article and shared some or most of the
elements of methodology, results, or conclusions. The full versions
of all suspected papers were retrieved and compared with the index
articles. A grading system was developed to define several types of
redundant publications: A. "dual"; B. "potentially dual"; C.
"salami-slicing." RESULTS: A total of 660 articles were screened.
There were 92 index articles (14%) leading to 147 suspected papers
found in other journals, representing some potential form of a
redundant publication. The vast majority of suspected papers were
published within approximately a year of the index paper and were not
cited by the latter. Most (69%) of the suspected papers were also
published in surgical journals. Only 12 (8.1%) appeared in, or
originated from, a "local-foreign" journal. Twenty (13.6%) of the
suspected papers met the criteria for dual publications, 50 (34%) for
potentially dual publications, and 77 (52.4%) were considered
products of salami-slicing. CONCLUSIONS: Almost 1 in every 6 original
articles published in leading surgical journals represents some form
of redundancy. Current on-line search technology provides an
effective tool for identifying and tracing such publications, but it
is not used routinely as part of the peer review process.
Redundancies occur in several well-defined patterns; the phenomenon
is widespread, and it cuts across the entire spectrum of surgeons in
the United States and abroad. Redundant publications must be
recognized not as a mere nuisance but as a real threat to the quality
and intellectual impact of surgical publishing.