Revitalizing case reports: Standardized guidelines and mentorship

Despite a decrease in publication,case reports remain essential in medical literature as they offer detailed descriptions of individual patient cases and valuable insights for future management.These reports adhere to a standardized structure comprising sections such as abstract,introduction,case report,discussion,and conclusion.Obtaining informed consent and adhering to guidelines is essential.Case reports contribute to evidence-based medicine by detecting new therapies and adverse events.They also facilitate clear reporting,guideline adherence,and mentorship programs.These reports are vital for documenting rare occurrences,assisting clinicians in timely management,and communicating novel information to busy medical professionals.Following case report guidelines ensures comprehensive and standardized reporting,enhancing the acceptance and quality of case reports,and advancing medical knowledge.

Cutaneous allergic reaction to subcutaneous vitamin K_(1):A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Vitamin K1(phytomenadione)is a fat-soluble naturally occurring vitamin that is widely used to treat certain coagulation disorders.Adverse cutaneous reactions to vitamin K1 can occur;however,owing to its low incidence and considerable variability in presentation and morphology,its diagnosis can be easily overlooked.Managing these reactions may be challenging for patients and clinicians.Therefore,reviewing the adverse cutaneous reactions to vitamin K1 is important.CASE SUMMARY Here we report the case of a 50-year-old woman with no pre-existing hepatic disease who developed a cutaneous allergic reaction to subcutaneous vitamin K1 that presented as localized eczematous plaques at the vitamin K1 injection site.The eruption developed within 5 d of the injection and persisted for 32 mo despite treatment with topical and intralesional steroids.Eczema was diagnosed based on the results of the pathological examination,immunohistochemical staining,and a skin biopsy.The patient was advised to take herbal medicines orally twice daily.After treatment and follow-up,the patient’s eczematous urticarial plaques improved and her condition stabilized.CONCLUSION Here we present the first case of a cutaneous allergic reaction to subcutaneous vitamin K1 that was successfully treated with Chinese medicine.

Reporting Characteristics of Case Reports of Acupuncture Therapy with CARE Guidelines

Objective： To investigate the reporting characteristics of case reports of acupuncture therapy with CAse Report （CARE） guidelines, and to explore the applicability of the guidelines for these case reports. Methods： Case reports published from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013, were identified by searching PubMed and the China Biomedicine Database by using MeSH terms. Screening and data extraction of case reports were conducted by two independent researchers. Assessments based on CARE guidelines and data analysis were conducted by using Excel 2003 and RevMan 5.0. Results： A total of 61 case reports published in 19 journals were identified, which involved 16 major types of diseases. Fifteen （24.6%） case reports declared no conflict of interests, and 5 （8.2%） reported funding sources. None of these case reports met all items of CARE guidelines, and only 6 subordinate items were fully reported among 50% of the case reports. Subgroup analysis indicated that case reports published in English or those that did not have competing interests had higher reporting quality. Conclusions： The reporting quality of case reports of acupuncture therapy is rather low. The reason might be a lack of awareness among authors and the poor dissemination of information regarding CARE guidelines in China. More evaluation studies are needed to promote and improve adherence to CARE guidelines. Moreover, an extended version of CARE guidelines should be developed for cases reports of special interventions such as acupuncture or adverse events caused by interventions.