醫學英語論文是醫學期刊的常見的文體。根據英國TheLancet雜誌和香港Hong Kong Medical Journal上所登載的論文以及國外其它期刊所刊登的文章來分析,大體包括以下幾個方面內容:標題、摘要、引言、方法、結果、討論、致謝、參考文獻。關於英語標題和摘要的寫作格式在本刊2003年第4期上已經論述。現就論文的引言、方法、結果、討論、致謝和參考文獻做一詳細論述,以饗讀者。
1 引言(Introduction)
引言即是論文的開場白。在論文的引言中,作者主要介紹研究的背景和理由,具體說明研究的內容、目的、特點和意義。論文的背景和理由主要指研究主題的歷史,現狀,進展以及仍然存在的問題。引言可以對前人研究的結果,文獻摘用進行評述,並且敘述作者着手研究的原因及研究的新發展等。
該部分內容在時態上常運用一般過去時,一般現在時及現在完成時。舉例:
Introduction
The feasibility of ultrasonography for diagnosis of fetal cardiacabnormality was recognised in the early 1980s,and cardiac scanningis gradually being incorporated into fetal screening ffect of the screening process on the incidence and types ofcongenital heartdisease atterm has been difficultto ascertain becausemany pregnant women and infants travel great distances to specialistcentres which are farfrom their health a single centre,the geographical area from which its fetal referrals arrive is generallynot the same as the area attracting postnatal referrals,and the numberof births that each serves is impossible to BritishPaediatric Cardiac Association(BPCA)undertook a nationalcollaborative study of fetal cardiac aim was to assessthe effect of fetal diagnosis of congenital heart disease on the patternof serious congenital heart disease at term.
2 方法(Methods)
該部分可依據所研究的對象或使用的材料和採用的方法,也可分別稱之爲:對象與方法(Subjects and methods or Patients and methods),材料與方法(Materials and methods)。方法部分實際上是論文的主體,它是對論文的內容和採用的方法作出詳細的論述。具體的順序爲:首先是所使用的材料或研究的對象,其次是程序安排,最後是結果計算或統計方法。方法部分一般爲回顧性敘述,在時態上多采用一般過去時,偶爾也有用過去完成時。不過,假若敘述的是定義,理論,圖表內容及數值,屬於客觀現象,故可採用一般現在時。舉例:
Patients and methods
The Information and Statistics Department of the Scottish Homeand Health Department collected data on the demographics andlaboratory results of all possible outbreak collected clinicaldata by reviewing the case notes of all cases admitted to hospital inthe Lanarkshire area.
All confirmed or probable cases ofEscherilchia coli(E coli)0157 infection,identified in the Lanarkshire area during the outbreakperiod,were included in the assessment and irmedcaseswere those in whom the outbreak strain ofE coliO157 wasisolated from stool stool cultureswere negative atthe locallaboratories,specimens were sent to Scotland'sE colireferencelaboratory in Aberdeen,for the more sensitive isolation method ofimmunomagnetic able cases were those with bloodydiarrhoea or haemolytic uraemic syndrome(HUS)/thromboticthrombocytopenic purpura(TTP),an association with food sourcesimplicated in the outbreak,noE coliO157 isolated,and no otherorganism ts were defined as patients 15 years of age orolder.
To allow standardisation of diagnosis in the face of a hugeclinical workload,a case definition for HUS and TTP was developedat the beginning of the was defined as evidence ofred-cell haemolysis(red-cell fragmentation on blood film and lactatedehydrogenase>1.5 times the upper limitof normal[our laboratory 0～480 IU/L])plus thrombocytopenia(platelets<150×109/L)with rising urea and creatinine three criteria hadto be met before the diagnosis could be made,but not necessarily onthe same blood sample.A diagnosis of TTPwas given to patientswhomet these laboratory criteria and developed new neurologicalsymptoms and patient was included as having developedHUS despite a minimum platelet count of 228×109/L(on death).
He had bloody diarrhoea,an association with an implicated foodsource,acute renal failure,the criteria for red-cell haemolysis,and afalling platelet count.
In the assessment of premorbid illness,medical historiesincluded as relevant were ischaemic heart disease,cardiac failure,hypertention,cerebrovascular disease,renal disease,diabetes,onary oedemawas diagnosed on clinical andradiological evidence.
TPE was performed at three centres with three Cobe SpectraApheresis Systems(Cobe Laboratories Ltd,Gloucester,UK)and aBaxter Fenwal CS-3000 Plus Cell Separator(Baxter Healthcare,Newberry,UK)ma was exchanged with 2.0～2.4 Lfresh frozenplasma or cryosupernatant in refractory anticoagulantused was ACD-A.A combination of central and peripheral venousaccess was avenous hydrocortisone was given with avenous prostacyclin was also given to cases receivingTPE,at doses between 40 mg/h and 200 mg/h,where were analysed by means of SPSS(version 7.5).
3 結果(Results)。
結果部分是指作者在實驗過程中對實驗所獲得的結果進行客觀的評述,也可以說是對實驗結果作出歸納。而且結果部分只是系統地介紹與主題研究緊密相關的數據,例如,顯着的差異性,P值等,其結果部分是對過去的實驗作出歸納概述,在時態上通常運用一般過去時。舉例:
Results
There were 262 cases ofE coliO157 infection in theLanarkshire area:200 confirmed cases and 62 probable edian age of all affected was 53 years,but there were highernumbers at the extremes of age.47%(124/262)of infectedindividualswere over 55 years of age.13(5%)people 10cases death was associated with the systemic complications ofE coliO157 infection.
28(11%)of the Lanarkshire cases ofE coliO157 met thediagnostic criteria forHUS/smet the criteria forHUS/TTPa median of 7 days(range 4～15)after the onset of gastrointestinalsymptoms.A further eight cases had evidence of thromboticmicroangiopathy but did not meet the criteria for HUS/TTP and werenot eligible for TPE.22(79%)cases with HUS/TTP were adultsand six(21%)were median age of adults whodeveloped HUS/TTP was 71 years and the median age of children demographics,clinical features,treatment,laboratoryresults,and outcome of the adult cases with HUS/TTP are shown intable d results are taken from the day that the diagnosticcriteria for HUS/TTP were met,before TPE in cases so treated.
The mortality rate in adults with HUS/TTP was 45%(ten of22)n of 12 cases aged over 70 years and three of ten aged 70years or less e were no deaths in opsiesweredone for all cases who es of death in patients with HUS/TTPwere acute renal failure secondary to HUS(two cases),cardiacarrest(two cases),intracerebral haemorrhage,cerebral infarction,acute myocardial infarction,multiple organ failure,hepatorenalsyndrome secondary to macronodular cirrhosis and septic shock.
TPE was used in 16 of the 22 adultpatientswithHUS/atients treated with TPE later received haemodialysis,because ofdeteriorating renal ents who did not receive TPE wereeither too unwell to tolerate the procedure or died before TPE couldbe carried out.
In all 16 cases treated with TPE,the first exchange was firstdone within 24h of the criteria for HUS/TTP being inimum number of changes was one,the maximum 16,and themedian ents underwent a total of 107 procedures,and 1100units of fresh frozen plasmawere patients proved refractoryto treatment with fresh frozen plasma,after five and six exchanges,but were successfully treated by additional TPE with cryosupernatantas the exchange of the 16(31%)TPE-treated patientsdied,four of eight aged over 70 years and one of eight aged 70 yearsor orbid illness,neurological features,treatment withciprofloxacin or prostacyclin,and the laboratory severity of HUS/TTPwere not associated with death,although the number of caseswas toosmall to allow statistical conclusion.