Critical skills assessment for the treatment of geriatric patients: Geriatric Dentistry

This paper reports the results of a needs assessment survey conducted to identify education objectives for the dentist geriatric fellowship program initiated by the Veterans Administration in 1982. A cascading sample design was used to identify 82 persons recognized as experts in geriatric dentistry. Each was asked to list five knowledge, skill, and attitudinal objectives considered most crucial for comptence of the geriatric dentist. The 30 major critical competencies cited and their relative frequencies are presented as a kind of definition of the competent geriatric dentist and a guide to planning and evaluation of geriatric dentistry programs     

GETTING THE EVIDENCE AND USING IT TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE

The statistical information on blood alcohol levels in road crash fatalities and casualties together with screening breath tests (evidential and non-evidential) can be used to identify drink-drivers in a high alcohol consuming society which has the second highest vehicle ownership per head of population in the world. Control of the drink driving problem can be achieved by short and long term education, plus the deterrent effect of a high predictability of detection by the enforcement of legislation providing severe penalties backed by the courts. Some positive results have been achieved in Australia, particularly in the State of Victoria, where drink driving legislation has been more extensive than in other States.     

REMOTE MONITORING BY MASS SPECTROMETRY DURING ANAESTHESIA: Evaluation of a suitable inlet system

We describe a three-stage mass spectrometer inlet system suitablefor use in operating theatres and evidence of its performancein delay and response times to step changes in oxygen and halothaneconcentrations At 55m and a sampled gas flow of 100mlmin^–1,the inlet imposed a delay of 21 s and prolonged the 10-90% responseto 310ms for oxygen and 510ms for halothane A linear relationshipbetween inlet length and 10-90% response time at constant sampledgas flow was demonstrated for halothane but not for oxygen.Our results compared with those of other workers support thechosen compromise between practical flexibility and convenienceversus maximum speed of response that was adopted in this systeM.Design. ^* Present address. Department of Anaesthesia, Royal PostgraduateMedical School, London.