C Soares1,2, D Ferreira1,2, R Araújo1,2. 1. Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, EPE, Porto, Portugal. 2. Department of Clinic Neurosciences and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Gender bias is a known issue in healthcare and academia. We analysed the gender of patients reported in the literature with 'man-in-the-barrel' syndrome or equivalent semiological terms. METHODS: A search in the PubMed database was conducted using the terms 'man-in-the-barrel', 'person-in-the-barrel', 'woman-in-the-barrel', 'brachial diplegia', 'flail arm' and 'cruciate paralysis'. All articles published between 1969 and 2020 containing a detailed description compatible with the original description of man-in-the-barrel syndrome were included. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients with a clinical picture compatible with man-in-the-barrel syndrome were included. Up to 33% of patients were female. Overall, the proportion of female patients with man-in-the-barrel syndrome was 25%. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The term man-in-the-barrel may disenfranchise up to a third of women presenting with brachial diplegia with undesirable consequences. We propose a gender-neutral alternative such as 'person-in-the-barrel'.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Gender bias is a known issue in healthcare and academia. We analysed the gender of patients reported in the literature with 'man-in-the-barrel' syndrome or equivalent semiological terms. METHODS: A search in the PubMed database was conducted using the terms 'man-in-the-barrel', 'person-in-the-barrel', 'woman-in-the-barrel', 'brachial diplegia', 'flail arm' and 'cruciate paralysis'. All articles published between 1969 and 2020 containing a detailed description compatible with the original description of man-in-the-barrel syndrome were included. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients with a clinical picture compatible with man-in-the-barrel syndrome were included. Up to 33% of patients were female. Overall, the proportion of female patients with man-in-the-barrel syndrome was 25%. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The term man-in-the-barrel may disenfranchise up to a third of women presenting with brachial diplegia with undesirable consequences. We propose a gender-neutral alternative such as 'person-in-the-barrel'.