A visual summary of guidance on the diagnosis and management of suspected phalangeal and metacarpal fractures in adults for frontline and acute care clinicians.

McDonald’s thwarts council efforts to stop new branches by claiming it promotes ‘healthier lifestyles’. This interactive map shows the results of appeals by fast food companies to council planning appeals between Jan 2020 and Jan 2025

Clinical assessment of the dysphonic patient can be challenging for a clinician who is unable to visualize the larynx. This graphic aims to help healthcare practitioners working in primary care and the non-specialist setting to understand the clinical features of benign disease and features that warrant onward referral to ear, nose, throat specialists

Investigating deaths from Alzheimer’s disease amongst people with occupations that demand frequent spatial and navigational processing, such as ambulance and taxi drivers

Proposed systematic approach for patient assessment of suspected fever of unknown origin

A visual summary of signs and symptoms specific to bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease, and those that are common to both

Displaying the recommendations for therapeutic drug monitoring of biologic drugs in adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory arthritis, or psoriasis, including evidence profiles, practical issues, and values and preferences

Declared links between SACN (The UK Government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition) and the food and drinks industry

A tool to explore the evidence around select treatments for non-specific low back pain, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for acute and chronic pain.

This graphic summarises some key points from the updated World Health Organization (WHO) guidance, published in August 2023. At each step in the patient journey the black circles indicate the suggested PPE for the health and care workers as they interact with the patient and their environment, as shown in the table at the bottom of the graphic

Displaying the comparative effectiveness of available therapies for chronic pain associated with temporomandibular disorders

A collection of AI-generated artworks and poems for your colleagues from different specialties. As well as viewing these generative artworks, you can also click through to versions that you can share or print directly

A compendium of articles that present ideas on making medical practice more environmentally friendly.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare autoinflammatory dermatosis that presents as painful ulcers. This graphic provides a resource for general practitioners to diagnose and treat the condition

Raised serum ferritin often presents a significant diagnostic challenge owing to multiple possible causes. This graphic shows an algorithm for the management of raised ferritin

An approach to identifying and discussing chronic pain with patients, drawing on formal guidance from the UK, the patient voice, and clinical experience

A framework for environmental sustainability, aimed at helping intensive care units reduce use of energy, pharmaceuticals, and single-use consumables

Night sweats can have a wide differential. This tool can be used to suggest some likely causes for further investigation.

Eight examples of successful networks of care around the world, indicating some of the possible benefits of such arrangements

Regular clinical interaction and monitoring the side effects of medications is particularly important for patients with bipolar disorder. Especially when used long term, metabolic and movement-related side effects are relatively common. This graphic summarises the recommended frequency of monitoring, according to the British National Formulary (BNF) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Detailing a series of rigorous experiments, designed to qualify and quantify the time required for the safe preparation and consumption of a cup of tea and the best accompanying biscuit. The experiments aim to identify how to provide the most effective and refreshing uptake of caffeine, hydration, and nutrition, without the adverse events of spillage, scalds, or biscuit breakage.

A quick overview of the wide variety of general and organ specific symptoms that can be features of post covid-19 syndrome. Includes what to look out for in primary care, and when to refer.

A brief guide to the principles of aerosol generation and dispersion, aimed at helping clinicians to prevent transmission

The four UK nations responded to the covid-19 pandemic in different ways, at different times. This graphic gives a comparison of the measures taken, and the course of the disease, in each nation.

This guideline summary provides recommendations for people already taking statins and people intolerant to statins for reducing cardiovascular risk with two lipid-lowering drugs

This BMJ rapid recommendation covers plasma exchange and glucocorticoid dosing for patients with Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. It suggests plasma exchange should be reserved for people with moderate to high risk of developing end stage kidney disease within a year.

Data on vaccination rates by country paints a stark picture of how far Africa still has to go in defending itself against covid-19.

Some patients would like to fast during Ramadan, but have existing conditions that might be exacerbated by doing so. This graphic provides a quick overview that summarises what to cover during a pre-Ramadan consultation with such patients.

A potted guide to the hazards of holiday foliage. This graphic suggests that it would be best to refrain from consumption of foliage, ornamental household plants or unidentified wild species and berries over the festive period and beyond

This graphic presents a new dataset of head injuries occurring in popular nursery rhymes, including coded information that could inform the authors of future nursery rhymes and decrease the likelihood of head injuries for literary characters

This graphic simulates two people meeting, and what they can do to reduce the risk of catching covid-19. The colours show how much infectious virus is likely to be passed on, based on the best estimates of 26 international experts.

A country’s covid-19 vaccine manufacturing base is now seen as a key factor in its ability to vaccinate its population. This graphic shows which countries produce covid-19 vaccines, and reveals that many of these have been able to vaccinate more of their population than comparable countries.

Most patients with a stoma will have a good idea about how to manage minor issues but may present to primary care with emergency complications. This graphic presents seven common complications, and offers a quick summary of management strategies and when to refer patients to the surgical team.

Offering a trial of non-inhaled medical cannabis or cannabinoids is suggested in this rapid recommendation, for people with moderate to severe chronic pain, if standard care is not sufficient

The first four covid-19 variants of concern have spread with alarming rapidity around the globe. This short animation tracks their progress from country to country from September 2020 to July 2021.

Nearly half of the 253 drugs authorised via the US Food and Drug Administration "accelerated approval pathway" have not been confirmed as clinically effective. This graphic shows details of The BMJ's investigation, particularly focussing on the 24 drugs that have been on the market for five or more years.

Facial dermatoses can be caused by use of personal protective equipment such as face masks. This graphic presents common facial distributions and extra-facial involvement that can be used as a starting point for assessment of facial eruptions.

A clinical practice guideline comparing SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP -1 receptor agonists for adults with type 2 diabetes. The drugs are recommended only for people with higher risk of cardiovascular or renal disease.

Tips for effective online consultations, including when to reply using with written responses, and advice for writing them

This graphic shows the main tests needed to monitor for adverse effects occuring during long term treatment with immunomodulatory agents for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, or psoriasis

An interactive tool to explore data from Sweden on heritability of medicine as an occupation. The graphic also shows how the legal profession compares in terms of how frequently relatives have the same occupation as their children.

Try your hand at mixing up some marvellous "medicines" and see their likely toxic impacts on the human body

Adversity in the first years of life may deleteriously affect the course of human development. This graphic shows the wide range of possible consequences throughout the lifetime of children suffering adverse experiences in their early years.

A guide to positive clinical features that may indicate functional neurological disorders in primary care, including common diagnostic pitfalls

A calculator showing the expected number of people with positive or negative antibody test results that have or have not had covid-19, based on adjustable inputs for underlying disease prevalence and test accuracy.

A clinical practice guideline comparing remdesivir with standard care for people with severe covid-19. The guideline gives a weak recommendation in favour of remdesivir

An overview of different types of non-invasive respiratory support available outside of the intensive care unit, or for people not suitable for full invasive ventilation.

A timeline of the government response to covid-19 in 7 countries, and the size of the corresponding outbreaks. Countries like the UK and Italy were slow to act and have seen much more severe impacts.

A summary of evidence on the effectiveness of gabapentinoids for relief of neuropathic pain, including adverse events

Visualising the complicated network of relationships between those lobbying for greater availability of cannabis for medical and recreational use.

Differentiating cellulitis from other causes of red legs in primary care.

The data behind hip replacement surgery shows very little difference between NHS and private providers. Compare the two with this interactive graphic.

This GOfER (graphical overview for evidence reviews) summarises the evidence available for different medical, surgical and conservative management options for early miscarriage

With the UK health sercive a fundamental issue in many elections, it is perhaps not surprising to see doctors in the running to become members of parliament. This graphic shows the 56 medical doctors that we have identified that stood in the 2019 general election.

A visual representation of the mood of medical interns over a 3 year period, showing the impact of political and non-political events.

Summarises the results of two studies published simultaneously in The BMJ, which investigate how frequently screening for colorectal cancer should be performed, and the rates of falsely negative tests.

Highlighting changes in the updated 2019 NICE guidance, this graphic shows the new recommendations for diagnosis and management of hypertension in adults, and in which ways the guidance has changed.

A clinical practice guideline comparing no screening, Faecal testing, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy for detecting colorectal cancer in healthy adults aged 50 or over. The guideline recommends assessing individual people's risks with an online calculator to inform the decision about whether to screen or not.

Migration is a key area for political discussion, but the health needs of migrants are often overlooked. This scrolling story shows how migrants often fall through the cracks of health systems, and calls for more research on migrants and their wellbeing.

Summarising updated NICE guidance on monitoring and assessment of women with hypertension and pre-eclampsia, including when to admit or refer.

A comprehensive overview of the health impacts of the UK leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement - a so-called “no deal” scenario.

An interactive guide to fertility awareness based methods of contraception, which allow couples to avoid unintended pregnancy by timing intercourse according to a range of different biomarkers. This graphic compares relative effectiveness of fertility awareness with traditional contraceptives, and explains the different features of several methods.

The second year of data has been released, which reveals the the difference in earnings between men and women. This scrolling piece shows which NHS organisations in England have changed, for better or worse, in the last year.

Visualising the financial flows for 29 Conservative MPs linked financially, directly or indirectly, to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)

An interactive tool for diagnosis of chest pain after coronary artery bypass grafting. Select symptoms and signs to see the linked conditions

Chiari malformations present with a wide range of symptoms. This visual summary presents the symptoms observed in a series of 364 patients.

A map showing the wide variation in funding sources across England for GP services. Quality incentive payments now account for less than 10% of GP practice income.

US states with more permissive gun laws had higher rates of mass shootings, as shown on this map infographic.

Summary of recommendation against subacromial decompression surgery, including comparison of benefits and harms, practical issues, and patient values and preferences.

When to start and when to stop oxygen therapy in acutely ill medical patients. This graphic summarises our recommendations, including comparison of benefits and harms, practical issues, and patient values and preferences.

A visual summary of treatment options for seven common dermatological causes of vulvar itch, including levels of evidence.

Doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds working in some roles are paid thousands of pounds less a year than their white colleagues. This infographic displays some of these statistics, using data from NHS digital.

This guide explores ways in which to diagnose skin problems around the eyes, which can often be challenging to diagnose because of a wide differential. It can be useful to combine information from a focused history of the rash with a detailed examination.

In 1662 John Graunt published an analysis of the records of deaths (“burials”) and births (“christenings”) in London. The rather plain looking pamphlet contained large tables of figures, from records collected weekly by parish clerks from 1629 to 1660. Causes of death included “King’s Evil,” “falling sickness” or simply “found dead in street.” This infographic explores these deaths and looks at the illnesses and diseases that commonly arose in 17th century London.

A visual summary presenting a practical approach to initial management of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, looking at initial assessments, resuscitation, and risk stratification.

A visual comparison of adverse events taken from vaccine pharmacovigilance reports compiled by GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) during the 2009 H1N1 'swine flu' outbreak, detailing events for three of the companies pandemic influenza vaccines.

A visual summary of our recent study following trends in life expectancy across high income countries, showing how US life expectancy is lagging behind other rich countries, which citizens are affected, and the causes of death that have risen most sharply in recent years.

Do corticosteroids reduce death or improve recovery in people with sepsis or septic shock? Our panel make a weak recommendation to give corticosteroids to people with all types and severity of sepsis, based on new evidence. Because we are not certain that they are beneficial, it is also reasonable not to prescribe them. This main infographic provides an overview of the absolute benefits and harms.

This graphic summarises NHS England’s recommendation to stop routine use of some interventions. They say that these treatments either have inconclusive evidence of usefulness (category 1), or should be done only when specific clinical criteria are met (category 2).

This infographic summarises NICE guidance on drugs that can be offered as a part of treatment for people with the most common forms of dementia. An individualised approach is necessary owing to the wide variety of symptoms faced by each person with dementia.

This suggested trauma team timeline is based on a combination of guidance from expert opinion and experience of UK emergency departments. It aims to help clinicians familiarise themselves with the basic principles of organizing and responding as a trauma team, and the central role of the trauma team leader.

Is the needle tip configuration important when performing a lumbar puncture for any indication? A systematic review published in the Lancet in December 2017 suggests that it is. The BMJ Rapid Recommendations panel makes a strong recommendation for the use of atraumatic needles for lumbar puncture in all patients regardless of age (adults and children) or indication instead of conventional needles, and this infographic provides an overview of the absolute benefits and harms (although none were present here) of atraumatic needles.

Psychiatric illnesses, such as depression and anxiety are common, but often neglected complications of cancer. These most commonly arise from a patient's psychological reactions to diagnosis, treatment, relapse, end of life care, or survivorship, although direct biological effects of certain treatments and tumour types can also give rise to symptoms of depression or anxiety.

This graphic summarises recent NICE guidance on the choice of antibiotic for the treatment of Lyme disease, considering recommended initial courses and further additional courses for patients with ongoing symptoms.

Five new medical schools have been created in England under government plans to increase medical student numbers in England. This summary looks at the locations, demand and place numbers at both new and existing medical schools.

A visual summary of symptoms suggestive of lower limb Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Concerns have been raised over the health effects of rising caesarian rates throughout the world. One of the few countries able to reverse this trend is China, by introducing a number of policies to restrict caesarian use. This infographic summarises some of the policies that have been put in place over recent years.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is most commonly due to atherosclerosis, where an atherosclerotic plaque causes arterial stenosis or occulsion. This infograph summarises some telltale symptoms and signs associated with PAD.

APGAR tests, which measure a child's vital signs and response to stimuli in the first minutes of life, can tell us more than we previously thought about risks of developing neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

Illness associated with travel is common. Most infections are mild or self limiting, however their non-specific presentations make them challenging to distinguish from life threatening infections such as malaria. This infographic summarises triage, risk assessment, and isolation of illnesses in returning travellers.

In one of our BMJ Christmas articles, we explore how wine glass capacity in England has increased sevenfold in 300 years. This increased drinking since the mid-20th century can reflect greater affordability, availability, and marketing of alcohol products, and this infographic visualises the changing size of our wine glasses over the last three centuries.

Psychosis can be a frightening and bewildering experience for both patients and families. Early proactive support and intervention improves clinical outcomes, avoids costly and traumatic hospital admissions, and is preferred by patients and their families. Psychosis can be identified by two kinds of symptoms - positive and negative - and this visual summary helps to differentiate between the two, as well as offer potential management pathways.

Foot disease affects nearly 6% of people with diabetes and includes infection, ulceration, or destruction of tissues of the foot. This visual summary explores routes of examination and screening, as well as looking at the different levels of risk, and appropriate treatment and referral choices based on these risks.

Antiplatelet drugs and oral anticoagulants are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in both primary and secondary care. Clinicians are familiar with their use, however antiplatelets and oral anticoagulants are the drug classes most commonly implicated in adverse drug reactions occurring both in the community and in hospital. Using four clinical scenarios as examples, this infographic summarises combined antiplatelet and anticoagulant treatment courses, including treatment times and potential risks.

Growth in infants and preschool children is a common cause for parental and professional concern. Although some weight loss is common in the early days of life, the term “faltering growth” is used to describe a pattern of slower weight gain than expected for age and sex in infants and preschool children after these early days and is most often due to inadequate nutritional intake.
This visual summary explores the symptoms of faltering growth, as well as management, escalation and referral strategies.

Earlier this year the World Health Organization and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs launched the Global Abortion Policies Database, an open access repository of abortion laws, policies, standards, and guidelines for 197 countries. This interactive graphic identifies the various policies and laws that apply for each of the countries included in this database.

Postoperative rehabilitation and physiotheraphy are beneficial after knee, hip, and shoulder arthroplasty, and are increasingly conducted in the community because of the short postoperative length of stay. This infographic summarises advice on patient restrictions and suitable treatment and management schedules, breaking these down on a week-by-week basis dependant on replacement type.

The WHO South East Asia Region (SEAR) has unique characteristics that contribute to the likelihood of increasing resistance to antibiotics developing in the region. This infographic summarises some of these characteristics, exploring both emergence and transmission of infections.

An interactive summary of the recommendations from our 'Corticosteroids for sore throat' Rapid Recommendation, giving an overview of the absolute benefits and harms of corticosteroids in the standard GRADE format.

Babies born preterm are at a higher risk of developmental problems and disorders, and this risk increases with decreasing gestational age. This infographic visually summarises the different levels of surveillance, support, and developmental follow-up available for young people born preterm, as recommended in recent NICE guidelines.

Parkinson's patients classically present motor symptoms, although non-motor symptoms such as depression, cognitive impairment and autonomic disturbance may also be prominent. Revised NICE guidelines have outlined a general strategy for the management of both types of symptoms. This infographic summarises these strategies, as well as exploring ways of providing ongoing care. It also provides recommendations on the use of treatments that may provide some relief from the distressing symptoms of advanced Parkinson’s disease.

It is important to ensure that patients undergoing Hepatitis C treatment are monitored closely for complications. This infographic explores the likelihood of these potential issues.

More than half of London’s NHS facilities are blanketed in air pollution that is above legal limits. This interactive map matches air quality data across London against the locations of health centres across the capital.

Hypoactive delirium tends to capture less clinical attention than hyperactive delirium, despite being difficult to recognise and being associated with worse outcomes. This graphic differentiates between these two forms of delirium and summarises the adverse consequences of both.

This graphic shows the advice given by the BMJ Rapid Recommendations panel against the use of knee arthroscopy. The panel decided that most people would prefer to avoid the pain and inconvenience of the recovery period after arthroscopy, since it offers only a small chance of a small benefit.

According to a new model by the Health Foundation, there are eight different factors which influence consultant's productivity - from having enough nurses and support staff to higher wages compared to the local area. This infographic shows which of the eight factors had the greatest impact.

Spondyloarthritis can have diverse symptoms and be difficult to identify. This graphic summarises key indicators, and referral criteria for both axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis.

This graphic shows the advice given by the BMJ Rapid Recommendations panel against the use of LIPUS (low intensity pulsed ultrasound) for bone healing. It explains the panel's reasoning, and summarises the evidence base and patient preferences upon which the decision was made.

Often incorrectly referred to as "legal highs", these substances come in a huge range of different forms and varieties. This infographic provides a visual overview of NPS types, common names, delivery methods and associated risks.

A brief overview the new NICE guidelines, from the perspective of a patient presenting in primary care. Infographic includes assessment of likely recovery outcomes, management and pain relief options.

A visual overview of the suggested recovery progression for concussion, including common symptoms, stages of recovery, and recommended medical assessments.

The first in our new series of "Rapid Recommendations" compares TAVI with surgical valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis in patients at lower risk of perioperative death. The visual summary shows the recommendations made by the panel, and explains the evidence upon which they are based.

An overview of risk assessment, monitoring and management of people with suspected sepsis. Separate sections are provided for primary care and hospital settings, as well as different age groups.

New NICE guidelines suggest that preoperative tests are not always required, especially for minor surgery in people with no systemic disease. This graphic summarises which tests are recommended, by patient's physical status and surgery complexity.

Clinical identification of cirrhosis remains imperfect, and the condition is often asymptomatic. This infographic summarises NICE guidance on diagnosis of cirrhosis, referral to specialist care, and management of people with cirrhosis, including surveillance for and treatment of complications.

Visualising a young person's transition from child to adult care services, following new NICE guidance.

Some public health interventions can have benefits for both health and helping to reduce levels of climate change. This infographic, designed in collaboration with the new UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, shows some examples of such symbiotic relationships.

A quick overview of key Zika virus facts, including countries affected and advice on prevention, diagnosis and management of patients returning from outbreak areas.

This infographic gives general principles for managing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and young people. It includes glycaemic control and HbA1c targets, as well as monitoring of complications and associated conditions.

Portion sizes of pre-packaged meals have increased over the last 20 years. This infographic explains how this could affect energy intake, and how policies could be developed in response.

The NICE guidance on diagnosis and management of preterm events is presented in this flow infographic. The diagram includes information on preterm labour and preterm, prelabour rupture of membranes (P-PROM).

This interactive graphic shows all the potential conflicts of interest highlighted by The BMJ and The Times's joint investigation into CCG commissioning.

This flow diagram shows how ECG results, clinical assessment, and biomarkers can distinguish between types of Acute Coronary Syndrome. The assessment and management of the two main types (ST elevation and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction) are also given.

Bisphosphonates can reduce the risk of fracture for patients with osteoporosis, increasing bone strength and reducing fracture risk. This graphic aims to provide an overview of patient assessment and the appropriate treatment pathways and decisions to be made at each stage.

Sharps injuries, from objects such as needles, scalpels, bone fragments, or teeth, pose a risk of transmission of blood borne viruses. This infographic explains how to manage such injuries, from first aid through to assessing the risks posed by a specific incident and source patient.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a challenging condition to define and treat, with great variability in terms of symptoms and a wide range of proposed treatments. This graphic summarizes the currently available treatments for irritable bowel syndrome, and gives an indication of the level of evidence available at time of publication.

The BMJ’s website is 20 years old this month. This infographic timeline charts the developments of the last two decades, with new layouts, new content streams and new technologies adopted along the way.

Our interactive manifesto tool shows the parties' positions on health. Where do they stand on NHS funding? On improving GP access? On public health, social care and privitisation? Where do the parties overlap, and where do they stand diametrically opposed?

Facemasks are recommended for diseases transmitted through droplets and respirators for respiratory aerosols, yet recommendations and terminology vary between guidelines. This graphic summarises the recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for five diseases.

This graphic shows the outcomes for a cohort of men diagnosed with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms of different sizes, indicating that those with smaller aneurysms may be more frequently overdiagnosed.

This animated graphic shows a model of codesign, in which patients, carers and staff are brought together to share ideas and improve services.

Use our interactive graphic to explore the neurodevelopmental consequences of prematurity and the different neuroprotective agents used.

This infographic offers practical advice on prescribing opioids for low back pain. Caution is advised, since the analgesic efficacy of opioids for acute back pain is inferred from evidence in other acute pain conditions.

This interactive graphic shows the sources of malaria infections diagnosed in the USA. Data comes from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA.

This information graphic gives a quick guide to ebola disease symptoms, management and infection control.

This interactive tool shows how the incidence of kidney cancer compares with other cancers, and how this varies by population.

This interactive graphic explains the medical and social impacts of teenage pregnancy on mothers and their children.

An interactive graphic which explains the development of bariatric surgery techniques.