South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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This study was undertaken to investigate the subjective impression that medical articles written by a single author predominated a decade ago, whereas multiple authorship is the rule today. Samples from 1971 and 1982 issues of the South African Medical Journal were studied, and the impression is shown to be valid. The mean number of authors per article increased from 1,77 in 1971 to 2,35 in 1982, while the proportion of articles with only 1 author decreased from 60,8% to 40,8%. Possible reasons for this are mentioned, of which the pressure to publish may not be the least.
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Comparative Study
An evaluation of the pulse-contour method of measuring cardiac output.
The pulse-contour (PC) method continuously derives the cardiac output in litres per minute from the arterial pressure wave form by using a portable analogue computer. The reliability of the PC method in determining cardiac output was studied in 6 patients during anaesthetic induction for cardiac surgery. The results obtained with the PC method using the radial artery to register the arterial pulse wave were compared with cardiac output measurements using the more conventional thermodilution technique. The PC method would seem to offer a simple, clinically useful method for on-line monitoring of short-term variations in cardiac output.
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A 3-year-old White child was admitted to the critical care unit in a coma after a generalized convulsion. Codeine and salicylic acid were present in his plasma. The possible aetiology and management are discussed.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Effects on cardiac rhythm of premedication with atropine or glycopyrrolate.
The effect of the premedicants atropine and glycopyrrolate on the cardiac dysrhythmic response to instrumentation and intubation was investigated. No significant increase in cardiac dysrhythmias such as bradycardia, atrial and ventricular extrasystoles was found (P greater than 0,01), but a significant increase in tachycardia occurred during induction (P less than 0,05) and intubation (P less than 0,01).