[Publications derived from free communications at the XX Congress of the Anesthesiology and Resuscitation Spanish Association (Anesthesia 92)].

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the publication in MEDLINE-indexed journals of articles derived from free presentations at the Twentieth Congress of the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology (SEDAR) (Anestesia 92) held in 1992.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Two of the authors independently investigated the publication of research presented at Anestesia 92 in MEDLINE-indexed journals, carrying out a search of authors' names between 1990 and 1998 with no restrictions on language or type of publication. We obtained year of publication and names of journals and extracted the abstracts, then analyzing the number and order of authors, content and time elapsing between the congress and publication.

RESULTS

Eighty-four articles (17.1%) were published based on 491 congress presentations, with a mean time to publication of 1.8 years (range -2 to 6). Journals specializing in anesthesiology published 79.8%, and Revista Espanola de Anestesiología y Reanimación published 59.5%. Different authors were listed for published articles and congress presentations in 92.9% and the first author had changed in 35.7%. The content of a published article was similar to that of the congress presentation in 46% and scope was reduced for publication in 35.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

Few publications were derived from free presentations at Anestesia 92 and major changes were made in authors and content between congress presentation and publication.