Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39304613›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology2024

Medical Toxicology vs. Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine - Are We Really Full of Case Reports?

Jason B Hack, Kevin F O'Brien

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Jason B HackDepartment of Emergency Medicine, ECU Health, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Blvd, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA. Hackj20@ecu.edu.
Kevin F O'BrienDepartment of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Blvd, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCase reports are perceived as having diminished value relative to other study designs. It has been said that medical toxicology (MT) is based largely upon case report literature and thought to be unique in this regard. We sought to quantify recent MT publication of case reports compared with top periodicals from emergency medicine (EM) and internal medicine (IM) journals.

methodsA retrospective review examined 5 years of articles in 6 U.S.-based medical journals-MT (Journal of Medical Toxicology, Clinical Toxicology), EM (Annals of Emergency Medicine, Journal of Emergency Medicine), and IM (JAMA Internal Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine) was performed using on-line resources. Every article in each issue was categorized into Case report vs. Research and Analysis articles vs. Excluded. "Case report" was defined as one (or ≤ 5) individual patients, one patient's data, etc. Total articles per issue were reported after removing Excluded items.

resultsBetween 2018 and 2022, these 6 periodicals published 522 issues; with 2644 case reports; and 8246 total included articles. Comparison of MT case reports vs. EM revealed a significant difference and odds (Odds Ratio = 1.7, (95% CI: [1.49, 2.03], p < 0.001); MT compared with IM was not significantly different (Odds Ratio = 1.1, (95% CI: [0.96, 1.30], p = 0.150). The percent of case reports increased in the IM and EM journals compared with a relative decrease in the MT journals. Cumulative case report precents were consistently greater in EM and IM than in MT.

conclusionIn the past 5 years, MT journals published fewer and had a declining trend of case reports compared with leading EM and IM journals. Future research is needed to determine the effect on MT practice resulting from the diminished body of case report literature.

Indexed as

Emergency MedicineInternal MedicinePeriodicals as TopicToxicologyBibliometricsHumansRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesCase ReportComparisonLiterature HierarchyPublication ChoicesResearch

Identifiers

PMID39304613
PMCPMC11436617

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