Section policies

Editorial: It is submitted at the request of Horizonte Médico (Lima) journal’s director. It will refer to the articles published on the same issue of the journal or will be about a subject of interest according to the editorial policy.

Original article: It is an unpublished research article about a subject related to the scientific, technical, humanistic or deontological-ethical field of medicine. It has the following sections: structured abstract (in Spanish and English), keywords, introduction, materials and methods (which includes the following: study design and population, variables and measurements, statistical analysis and ethical considerations), discussion and results. The abstract should be at least 300 words in length and have the following format: objective, materials and methods, results and conclusions. Original articles should not exceed 3,500 words and should include a maximum of five (5) figures or tables and at least 30 bibliographic references.

Review article: This article provides a comprehensive, objective, updated and organized review of a certain topic which also includes scientific evidence and is written by an expert in said topic. It should be written according to the following scheme: unstructured abstract in Spanish and English (at least 350 words), keywords, introduction, search strategy (accessed databases, words used for the research, selected articles), main text, conclusions and a minimum of 70 bibliographic references. Review articles should not exceed 4,000 words and include a maximum of five (5) figures or tables.

Brief communication: Also referred to as short report or letter, it is an original research article that, due to its objectives, design and results, can be published in a short format. It has the following structure: unstructured abstract (at least 200 words), keywords, introduction, study (including the “findings” to show the results), discussion and a minimum of 20 bibliographic references. It can include four (4) figures or tables and a maximum of 2,000 words.

Opinion article: It is a manuscript characterized by statements and arguments written by a well-known person about a medical subject, such as the description of the primary health care by the representative of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) in Peru. It should not exceed six (6) pages written only on one side of the page. Opinion articles should not exceed 2,500 words and include a maximum of three (3) figures or tables.

Case report: This section, also referred to as case study, includes cases that make a substantial contribution to medical knowledge. It is the discussion of a case in medical and surgical practice of diagnostic interest, unusual presentation or obvious interest for the scientific community that deserves to be published, such as the first case of dengue fever in Lima. It should be written according to the following scheme: unstructured abstract (at least 250 words), brief introduction, clinical case, discussion and at least 15 bibliographic references. The total extent of the article, including the bibliographic references, should not exceed six (6) pages written only on one side of the page. Case reports should not exceed 1,500 words and include a maximum of four (4) figures or tables.

History: It is the narration and explanation of past events significant to the medical field, such as the history of the first low-segment C-section conducted in Peru. It should not exceed eight (8) pages written only on one side of the page. Histories should not exceed 2,500 words and include a maximum of one (1) figure or table.

Biosketch: It is the biographical sketch of a current physician or well-known person whose work has had a particular influence in the medical field or in the improvement of medical teaching at USMP, both in Peru and worldwide. It should not exceed six (6) pages written only on one side of the page. Biosketches should not exceed 2,500 words and include a maximum of one (1) figure or table.

Letter to the editor: Its goal is to enrich or discuss an article published in the last two (2) issues of Horizonte Médico (Lima) journal; however, comments on articles published in other national journals may be accepted in exceptional cases. Letters presenting research results that include a maximum of one (1) figure or table are accepted. Moreover, they should have up to five (5) authors, two (2) pages, 1,000 words and 10 bibliographic references.