Journal of pediatric urology
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Comparative Study
Predatory publishing or a lack of peer review transparency?-a contemporary analysis of indexed open and non-open access articles in paediatric urology.
The advent of open access publishing has allowed for unrestricted and rapid knowledge dissemination and can generate higher citation levels. However, the establishment of predatory journals exploits this model and may lead to publication of non-peer reviewed work. ⋯ Open access, peer reviewed publishing allows rapid international knowledge dissemination. The exact objective definition of what constitutes a predatory journal remains controversial. We have identified a time-stable prevalence of 6.5% open access publications that could meet proposed criteria for a 'borderline/predatory journal'; however, this should not influence the decision to publish in open access journals.
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Testicular torsion is a urological emergency; as the testicular salvage rate decreases with time, prompt intervention is required to restore the blood flow. Interhospital transfers and ultrasound examinations, while clinically essential to proper treatment and diagnosis, may adversely affect outcomes by delaying surgical intervention. Patients transferred to another institution for treatment of testicular torsion may experience a further time delay by undergoing two ultrasound examinations: one at the initial admitting institution and one at the receiving institution. To the knowledge of the authors, no study has yet explored the time delays and outcomes associated with these repeat ultrasounds. ⋯ The analysis suggests that efforts to prevent repeat ultrasounds and minimize the time between presentation and intervention would improve patient outcomes. It is proposed that standardized clinical decision-making procedures, such as the TWIST scoring system, be incorporated into hospital protocols.