[Recommendations for the clinical evaluation of results in the biomedical literature].

The assessment and interpretation of the results of a clinical study are a real challenge for the clinicians. In this paper we establish a general basis for a critical and reserved assessment of these, from the fundamental aspects of the design and statistics, as well as the application of the results to our own patients according to risk and benefit criteria. Main errors and the traps that should be avoided are emphasised.

[Is there a minimum number of lymph nodes that should be examined after surgical resection of colorectal cancer?].

Metastasis to regional lymph nodes, after distant metastasis, is the most important prognostic factor of colorectal carcinomas. It is also of primary importance in decisions related to the administration of adjuvant treatments. Most scientific associations recommend the examination of at least 12 lymph nodes for the reliable determination of the absence of nodal metastases.

[Usefulness of computed tomography in determining risk of recurrence after a first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax: therapeutic implications].

Objective: The main cause of primary spontaneous pneumothorax is the rupture of subpleural blebs or bullae. The presence of bullae may also lead to an increased risk of recurrence. The best way to detect them is by means of computed tomography (CT).

[Confidence intervals: why use them?].

We analyze the reasons why the use of confidence intervals is highly advisable. Among these reasons, confidence intervals provide an approach to knowledge of the real importance of a result, independently of statistical significance, as well as equivalence assessment between two variables.

[Gastric cancer: probability assessment after lymph node-negative staging and its consequences].

Objective: To provide an approach to calculating the probability of error after lymph node-negative staging in gastric cancer.

Patients And Method: Retrospective data of 75 gastric resections for cancer were used to calculate the probability of error in general, according to T staging of the TNM classification (6th edition) and according to the type of lymphadenectomy performed. A modification of a procedure based on Bayes' theorem was used.

[Bull horn wounds in Castellon General Hospital. A study of 387 patients].

Unlabelled: Bull horn lesions are frequent in the Latin world due to spectacles involving these animals. These wounds have special characteristics that distinguish them from all other lesions.

Material And Method: A retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients with bull horn lesions admitted to our service between January 1978 and October 2005 was performed.

[Diagnostic tests: basic concepts for their correct interpretation and use].

The present article aims to disseminate knowledge of a topic that is important in clinical epidemiology: evaluation of diagnostic tests. Mathematical formulae are kept to a minimum. The significance and interpretation of the most important diagnostic indexes characterizing these tests are explained in order to describe their use in daily clinical practice, especially their role in the design of diagnostic protocols.