It is not unusual for patients to present with trauma only to be found to have a second, more sinister, diagnosis. Here, the authors present two cases of hand trauma where subungual melanoma is subsequently found. Seema Biswas Editor-in-Chief Subungual malignant melanoma – re-learning the lesson […]
Category: Editors choice
Comments from Dr Dean Jenkins on the Editor’s choice case report of the week.
‘Quality and Safety in Medicine’ Series: The assessment and treatment of a complex geriatric patient by an interprofessional primary care team
The multi-disciplinary team is perhaps one of the triumphs of modern medicine. The following account of the inter-professional management of an 89 year old lady who suffers recurrent falls is an example of how well the system can work. Seema Biswas Editor-in-Chief The assessment and treatment of a complex geriatric patient by an interprofessional primary […]
‘Quality and Safety in Medicine’ Series: Atypical mycobacteria in a superficial femoral artery occlusion
A rare cause of superficial femoral artery occlusion is discovered in a patient who undergoes surgery for worsening claudication. The patient is young and an occasional smoker. The authors go on to research the pathophysiology of the lesion and suggest how it might have been formed. Seema Biswas Editor-in-Chief Atypical mycobacteria in a superficial femoral […]
‘Quality and Safety in Medicine’ Series: When a groin lump is more than a simple groin lump
In this case of the series we highlight attention to detail. The authors report a young footballer who presents acutely with an irreducible, painful groin lump. An incarcerated inguinal hernia is a reasonable diagnosis in spite of a combination of intriguing examination findings. The groin is explored and there is no hernia. Instead, a blood […]
‘Quality and Safety in Medicine’ Series: Faulty fetal packing
Here the authors report the birth of a baby delivered by emergency caesarian section after preterm prolonged rupture of membranes. The situation must have been tense; and, there is considerable blood loss at surgery. The baby requires extensive resuscitation and transfusion. A depression is then noted in the baby’s skull. What now? Seema Biswas Editor-in-Chief […]
‘Quality and Safety in Medicine’ Series
Markers to measure quality and safety in health care are much debated. A decline in adverse event reporting may represent a genuine decline in adverse events or merely a decline in their reporting; just as a rise in the reporting of poor outcomes may represent significant cultural changes in a healthcare system more vigilant or […]
Life-threatening event during skin-to-skin contact in the delivery room
Case reports come into their own when they report aspects of routine clinical practice that all doctors can easily relate to. This case report describes an episode of apnoea in a newborn baby handed to his mother after delivery. The baby suffers cardiorespiratory arrest, is resuscitated and taken to the neonatal ICU. Thankfully, after recovery, […]
Lung protective strategy and prone ventilation resulting in successful outcome in a patient with ARDS due to H1N1
Imagine having to watch a common cold turning into a violent pneumonia in your 3 year old child and having to see him/her go under the ventilator for nearly a month. Imagine the relief having him/her back intact after the ordeal! This case report depicts one such incident that is best described as one of […]
Unmasking the truth
Every case report should put the patient first ( brevity is always appreciated here as well) and also very importantly have a title that attracts the audience without giving away the suspense (in fact the audience is more often attracted by the suspense in the title). In this case the suspense in the title is […]
Spontaneous regression in advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Spontaneous resolution of any malignancy is a cause for documentation and celebration every time it happens particularly for its rarity of occurrence. Gladwish, Clarke and Bezjak have done it commendably as well as raised the intriguing question as to why this happens ( or doesn’t more often).They have looked at multiple mechanisms that may have […]