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Rapid response to:

Practice Clinical updates

Perianal abscess

BMJ 2017; 356 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j475 (Published 21 February 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;356:j475

Rapid Response:

Re: Perianal abscess - Prof Majeed's criticism

In his rapid response, Prof Majeed raps the authors on the knuckles unjustly.

He says that incidence is a rate. No, Sir. Incidence is just the number of incidents encountered. The Incidence Rate is the number of incidents per hundred or per thousand or per million or whatever. In the example given, I accept the incidence rate as calculated by Prof Majeed. But, Sahnsn et al were equally correct in saying that the annual incidence in this country is, at present 14,000 to 20,000. We should of course add that these are the numbers of cases that come to the notice of the hospitals every year. They do not reflect NEW perianal abscesses that sprout (if the botanical term may be used here - mixing metaphors) AND are referred to the surgeons.

A personal note of explanation: about a score of years ago I did develop a perianal abscess. I possessed a cutting needle.

Competing interests: No competing interests

16 March 2017
JK Anand
Retired doctor
Free spirit
Peterborough