http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8605-0217
A humorous bit of advice suggests how to present very small numbers in the medical literature. With an N of three patients, one may write, “in a series of patients….” With only two patients, one may write, “time after time….” With one lone patient, one may write “in our experience….”
Case reports declined in favor in 1990s and early 2000s, and then enjoyed a resurgence in the past decade. Case reports often are the earliest published observations of new or uncommon clinical entities [Citation1], adverse drug reactions [Citation2], drug–drug interactions [Citation3,Citation4], and new therapeutic interventions [Citation5]. As Bob Hoffman pointed out, “The utility of case reports is in their ability to rapidly present new material, challenge dogma, and make us think and rethink our thought processes and practices” [Citation6].
The launch of Toxicology Communications presents a new venue for sharing your clinical observations and investigations. Among the growing numbers of journals that publish case reports, we aim to be the first to focus on toxicology. Toxicology Communications enjoys the support of Taylor & Francis, which publishes impactful journals such as Clinical Toxicology, Critical Reviews in Toxicology, Inhalation Toxicology, and Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology.
We invite you to share your observations and your experiences. These may include Case Reports presenting one or two patients, or Rapid Communications of preliminary data and case series.
You will find instructions for on-line submission at http://www.tandfonline.com/ttxc.
References
- Fisher AA, Purcell P, LeCouteur DG. Toxicity of Passiflora incarnata L. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2000;38:63–66.
- Neuschwander-Tetri BA, Isley WL, Oki JC et al. Troglitazone-induced hepatic failure leading to liver transplantation: a case report. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:38–41.
- Paris DG, Parente TF, Bruschetta HR et al. Torsades de pointes induced by erythromycin and terfenidine. Am J Emerg Med. 1994;12:636–638.
- Mullins ME, Horowitz BZ, Linden DHJ et al. Life-threatening interaction of mibefradil and β-blockers with dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers. JAMA. 1998;280:157–158.
- Yuan TH, Kerns WP, Tomaszewski CA et al. Insulin-glucose as adjunctive therapy for severe calcium channel antagonist poisoning. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1999;37:463–474.
- Hoffman RS. What to do with case reports: is folly that succeeds folly nonetheless? J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2003;41:377–379.