Professional Template for a 60x36 Case Report Poster Presentation
Your name and the names of the people who have contributed to this presentation go here
The names and addresses of the associated institutions go here
Introduction
The introduction should be brief; tell why the case is
important and why it is being reported (i.e., because
it adds to the understanding of a clinical problem).
For the sake of brevity, cite a few recent review
articles rather than many individual studies. Case
reports usually respond to one of the following
generic topics, but use specific information from the
case being presented.
1) An unexpected association between diseases
or symptoms. (For example, AIDS came to be
recognized, in part, because Kaposi's sarcoma
and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were
reported in homosexual men in 1981.)
2) An unexpected event in the course of observing
or treating a patient. (The transdermal absorption
of nitroglycerin and its dilating effect on blood
vessels came to be understood after a physician
reported headache in a patient who handled TNT
powder in his daily work.)
Patient Description
Describe the patient including gender, age, height
weight, BMI, social history (including tobacco and
alcohol use), use of illegal substances, medication
being used, notable results of physical examination
and laboratory tests, and differential diagnosis or
diagnoses considered, just to name a few. When
in doubt, think about the patient information you
would like to know as background information and
provide it in this section. Don’t go overboard; we
don’t need to know how many toilets are in the
patient’s primary residence. Give all of the basics
and add the specifics important to the case.
Use the literature to establish previous work related
to your research question. Make clear to your reader
whether this is the first ever reported, or how many
have been reported previously. The essential
characteristic of a publishable case report is
educational value. After all, nobody is going to
change the way they practice medicine based upon
one case report. In addition, it is not true that
a report must tell of a unique finding. Some case
reports are published because they support the
findings of previously published cases or because
they are useful reminders of an important point in
diagnosis or treatment.
POSTER TEMPLATES BY:
www.POSTERPRESENTATIONS.com
Remember: Pictures which contain patient
identifiers (e.g., facial shots, unusual tattoos) will
require a signed release form from the patient.
Check with the GRMERC Research Department
for more information.
Don’t Be Constrained by These Headings
Every case is different, so don’t feel like you have to
mash your round pegs to fit into the template’s
square holes. Add sections and headings as are
dictated by your case.
Discussion
The purpose of the discussion is to explain anything
that isn't clear in the case description and to offer
interpretations of findings. It’s also the spot to
indicate why the intervention used for your case was
different from similar cases reported previously.
Make clear any important point that isn't explained in
the case descriptions. For example, if you reported
that liver enzymes were elevated but no significant
liver dysfunction was found, tell the reader in the
discussion section why the enzymes were elevated.
Also discuss implications for the field.
Conclusions
Intervention
4) Unique or rare features of a disease.
Significance/Uniqueness of Case
For most of your audience, this section will hold the
most interest and will also be the biggest attentiongrabber for the casual passer-by. They may not
care for your title of “A Rare Case of Okra Toxicity in
Bexar County” but the full color 3D CT of a tortured
liver will suck them right in.
Remember: When writing up your case report,
refrain from using any identifying data, such as
date of birth, date of service, patient name, initials
or medical record number. Do not use case when
referring to a person - a case is an instance of
disease, a patient is a person.
3) Findings that shed new light on the possible
pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect.
5) Unique therapeutic approaches.
Charts/Graphs/Pictures
Describe all therapeutic interventions conducted
during the course of treatment. Only provide the
results of relevant examinations and laboratory tests
(usually those with positive results).
List the laboratory's ranges of normal values for any
unusual tests performed.
The big finish, where you get to blow your audience
away with your final, pithy comment. This should be
brief, three sentences tops. If you’re at a loss for
words, you can either do a combined discussion &
conclusions section, or just do a conclusions section
that reiterates the importance of your case.
References
While it is a nice thing to include references, if you’re
crunched for space, these are the first things to go. If
the choice is between including a really good looking
graph or the references, ditch the references and
show the graph.
Contact/Printing Information
Response to Treatment
Describe the outcome of treatment including final
diagnosis.
Send your completed poster template to:
research@grmerc.net
We also encourage you to take advantage of the GRMERC
Research Department support, including:
Idea/protocol development, research design, IRB compliance,
statistical analysis, review of presentation/publication content
Email: research@grmerc.net
Phone: 616-732-6223