Case reports in respiratory care

The information in a case report should be viewed cautiously in terms of generalization beyond the reported example. Appropriately written and interpreted, however, a case report can be a valuable contribution to medical knowledge and educational for both author and reader. This article discusses the essential components of a case report, important issues of patient confidentiality, and how authorship should be determined. It then describes 10 common pitfalls in case report writing. These are inexperience, insufficient documentation of the case, insufficient awareness of practice beyond one's own clinical setting, describing substandard care, illogical or unphysiologic intervention, poor focus of presentation and discussion, inappropriate manuscript format, poor writing, ineffective illustrations, and poor use of references. The article then presents 10 specific ways to avoid or deal with these pitfalls, with the aim of increasing the likelihood that a prospective author's manuscript will be accepted for publication. These ways include seeking appropriate assistance with writing, documenting the case as thoroughly as possible, and carefully justifying any new technique or intervention. Authors are urged to expend the time and effort required to prepare the manuscript properly, using the journal's guidelines and paying special attention to illustrations and references, and also to have the manuscript read by a local colleague before formal submission. After submission, authors should view the receipt of reviewers' comments and subsequent manuscript revision as necessary and positive steps toward successful publication.