Writing a Case Report in Pediatric Surgery: A Comprehensive Guideline

Abstract

An effective case report delivers clear and valuable clinical or surgical information to the medical community. Case reports dealing with pediatric surgical issues raise the medical community's awareness of rare diseases, unusual presentations of common disorders, or novel surgical or nonsurgical treatment approaches. Thus, case reports contribute substantially to medical advance by sharing remarkable or unexpected findings. For this reason, case reports should be prepared with vigilance, and current conventions on good medial writing practice should be observed. This guideline aims to assist clinicians and surgeons in the successful publishing of a compelling case report in pediatric surgery that is read and understood by the intended audience.

How to write a case report effectively

“…Passive voice tends to make statements long and vague, whereas active voice conveys the message more readily. Most sentences (approximately 70%) of your case report should be in the active voice 23) .…”

The Value of Case Reports for Graduate Medical Education

“…Several full-text reports are available to assist in preparing an interesting and valuable case report. [28][29][30][31][32] The BOX presents a summary of ideas about how to prepare a case report.…”

A Perspective on Writing a Perspective: A Scholarly Opportunity That Should Not Be Overlooked

“…As such, it would be worthwhile for academic leaders to introduce other methods of publication such as case reports, narrative reviews, and perspective-type articles that are offered in many medical journals. Although there are publications instructing authors in how to write a case report 1,2 and narrative review, 3,4 we found none cited in PubMed detailing the rationale and steps for writing a perspective article. For authors inexperienced in writing, not considering perspective-type articles is a wasted opportunity for potential publication.…”