ABSTRACT
Tables and figures are very useful tools to support the author's point or opinion. It should be made according to instructions for the authors of the given Journal. The Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society requires simple and clear English titles and explanations for the tables, figures and photos, which should be attached at the end of the manuscript. The author examined correctness of the tables and figures in the Jormnal of Korean Neurosurgical Society Volume 26. In 1997, 240 articles published in the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society. All 240 articles used at least one table or a figure. Tables were used in 157 articels, of which 107 articles(68.2%) have at least one incorrect table. Blanks in the field(26.2%), omitting the column headings(25.2%), and incorrect footnotes(19.6%) were common errors in the tables. Figures were used in 208 articles, of which 31 articles(14.9%) have at least one incorrect figure. Identifiable name or hospital number(35.5%), wrong numbering(29.0%), and duplication of tables and figures (19.4%) were common errors in the figures. It is important for the contributors to keep the instruction. To improve the quality of the journal, proper education for the manuscript and meticulous review of an article are necessary. It may be useful to illustrate an example of a table in the instruction of the Jormnal of Korean Neurosurgical Society.
Subject(s)
EducationABSTRACT
We present a study on hospital stay in 1000 consecutive head injuries. The mean hospital stay and standard deviation were calculated in a given condition according to some variables, such as sex, age, Glasgow Coma Score on admission, skull fracture, CT findings, and treatment. Usually, standard deviation was greater than the mean value in a given condition and hospital stay varied in a wide range, representing that the duration of treatment is related not only to the severity but also various individual properties. Since the associated injuries were variable in location, type and severity, they altered hospital stay greatly. Thus hospital stay was analyzed in patients without associated injuries. Hospital stay was largely dependant on three variables. Low Glasgow Coma Score on admission, presence of intracranial mass lesion or diffuse axonal injury, and operative treatment prolonged hospital stay. Skull fracture also lengthened hospital stay but only in patients without associated injuries. Duration of treatment should be recorded in all medical certificates related to the injury. For the proper estimation of duration of treatment, more reports are needed in this field.