Postgraduate medical journal
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CT of the brain (CTB) is one of the most common radiological investigations performed in the emergency department (ED). Emergency clinicians rely upon this imaging modality to aid diagnosis and guide management. However, their capacity to accurately interpret CTB is unclear. This systematic review aims to determine this capacity and identify the potential need for interventions directed towards improving the ability of emergency clinicians in this important area. ⋯ Heterogeneity and the presence of bias limit our confidence in these findings. However, the variance in the interpretation of CTB between emergency clinicians and radiologists suggests that interventions towards improving accuracy may be useful.
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Several studies have shown a 'smoker's paradox', where following an acute myocardial infarction, smokers have a paradoxically lower mortality than non-smokers. To date, no large study has investigated this paradox in unselected patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) managed by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) alone. ⋯ In this retrospective cohort study, we found no evidence of an association between mortality and smoking status in patients with acute STEMI treated with PCI, and thus no evidence of a 'smoker's paradox'.
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A faked peer review is a novel cause for retraction. We reviewed the characteristics of papers retracted due to a faked peer review. All papers retracted due to faked peer reviews were identified by searching the Retraction Watch website and by conducting a manual search. ⋯ In terms of the retraction year, the retractions started in 2012, and the number of retractions peaked in 2015 (59.6%). The number of papers retracted due to faked peer reviews differs largely among journals and countries. With the improvement of the peer review mechanism and increased education about publishing ethics, such academic misconduct may gradually disappear in future.
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Review
Gastrointestinal manifestations of neuroendocrine tumours: their investigation and management.
The incidence of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) is on the rise in the UK. Patients with NETs need to be managed by a team of clinical specialties. ⋯ Whilst life expectancy can be several years for patients with NETs, the GI symptoms can have a significant impact on their quality of life. It is therefore imperative to be familiar with the common GI manifestations associated with NETs, so symptoms can be appropriately managed with an overall aim of restoring the patient's quality of life.