The goal of quick hits is to display an image that can prompt a short discussion. These images are one of the most popular features on the ATS website. The images should be “bread and butter” images that are examples of things most pulmonologists, intensivists, and sleep physicians should know. Think horses, not zebras. Our goal is to have a variety of cases. If you see that another image/finding/case has been recently published that is very similar, please reconsider submitting.
Word count: < 800 words, no minimum.
Types of Images to Submit: Echocardiography/critical care ultrasound, ventilator waveforms, radiology, PA catheter and radial artery catheter waveforms, sleep images, pulmonary function tests, pathology, bronchoscopy, and pediatrics (pediatric sub-categories include chest imaging, lung histology, sleep medicine, lung function testing / mechanical ventilator support).
Formatting (please submit as a Word document):
Title: Include two titles.
1. A sufficiently vague description that does not give away the answer
2. The key diagnosis/answer
Example: "Hemoptysis in the Desert" and "CT image of Disseminated Coccidiodes"
Authors: Please include name and affiliations of all authors
Intro: The patient description/presentation should be VERY short, just enough to introduce the case. The goal is to get to the picture.
Image: 1-3 images. Videos (such as echocardiogram) are also acceptable. Often, one image is sufficient. Please use high quality images, and avoid any patient identifiers or company logos.
Question: Multiple choice question. The question does not have to be difficult; it is mostly to prompt curiosity. The most common question is “What is the finding?” or some variant of this.
Answer and Discussion: The answer is given, followed by a brief discussion of the finding, clinical diagnosis, and/or treatment options. Brevity is favored, aiming for 2-4 paragraphs. The first paragraph should summarize the most important clinical pearls from the case.
References: 1-5 references allowed.
Please see Quick Hits Template.
You will be asked to create or log in with an ATS account. Please email quickhits@thoracic.org for any questions.
Timeline: We aim to publish one quick hit every 2 weeks, but will increase the frequency if there are many submissions. We will vary the content. We will notify you within three weeks of submission whether your case will be published, revisions are requested, or not published.
