Cumulative evaluation data: pediatric airway management simulation courses for pediatric residents

Abstract Objectives To utilize cumulative evaluation data of the pediatric airway management simulation-based learning course on knowledge and practical skills of residents in the Saudi Commission for Health Speciality (SCFHS) in order to measure its efficacy and areas for improvement. Methods The evaluation is a retrospective cohort study that compares pre- and post-test (knowledge and skills) of a pediatric airway management simulation course. The 2-day course has been conducted four times annually at CRESENT and is comprised of interactive lectures on airway management and crew resource management, a demonstration of fundamentals of intubation, three skill stations, and six case scenarios with debriefing. Our evaluation data includes all pediatric residents who attended the course between January and December 2015. Results Forty-six residents participated, of whom 30 (65.2%) are male and 16 (34.78%) are female. Overall, there is statistically significant improvement between the pre-test and post-test knowledge and practical skill scores. The pre-test scores are significantly different between the four different resident levels with p values of 0.003 and <0.001 respectively. However, there are no statistically significant differences in the post-test scores among the four different resident levels with p values of 0.372 and 0.133 respectively. The practical skill assessment covers four main domains. Improvements were noted in pharmacology (811%), equipment setup (250%), intubation steps (200%), and patient positioning (130%). The post-test scores are similar in all practical skill categories for the four different residency levels. Discussion Our outcome-based evaluation strategy demonstrated that residents met the course learning objectives. The pediatric airway management simulation course at CRESENT is effective in improving the knowledge and practical skills of pediatric residents. Although the greatest improvement is noted among junior residents, learners from different residency levels have comparable knowledge and practical skills at the end of the course. Things that can be improved based on our study results include stressing more the type and dosages of the medications used in airway management and mandating the course for all junior pediatric residents. Although residents scored well, specific knowledge and skill elements still led us to targeted areas for course excellence. Similar courses need to be integrated in the pediatric residency curriculum. Further research is needed to study skill retention and more importantly its impact on patients’ care. Although resource-intensive, the use of cumulative evaluation data helped to focus quality improvement in our courses

Prevalence and awareness of oral habits among adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Oral habit is common in childhood and it is proven to cause multiple adverse effects on oral and general health, while oral habits in the adult population are under looked. The prevalence of oral habits varied among different societies. The extent of these effects varies depending on a wide range of variables including the actual habit, the duration, and the intensity of the oral habit.&nbsp;Objectives: The primary objective is to determine the prevalence of oral habits in adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the secondary objective is awareness of different types of oral habits and their adverse effects.Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study using questionnaire through google form which will address the prevalence of 5 Oral habits in the adult population, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia such as nail biting, chewing on pens/pencils/Miswak, using the teeth as a tool, chewing ice, and teeth clenching/grinding and bruxism. Also, it will address the awareness of these 5 oral habits and their adverse effects on oral health and prevention modalities.&nbsp;Results: There were 220 participants. The majority were Saudi (52.7%), females (83.2%) with bachelor&rsquo;s degrees (63.6%) and around fifty percent with age below 30 years old. The most prevalent pattern was using teeth as a tool (46.8%), followed by chewing ice (43.6%) and nail-biting (39.1%). All five habits were mainly started in childhood; however, a respectable percentage of beginning is still reported during adulthood, particularly for clenching/grinding/ bruxism and chewing ice, with a ratio of 36.4% and 25%, respectively. Most participants who reported clenching/grinding/ bruxism and nail-biting were related to stress (75.3%, 48.8%, respectively). The majority reported that oral habits could harm teeth (82.3%) and could be preventable (78.6%).Discussion: Most of the studies concentrate on oral habits in children while few studies had concentrated on oral habits in adults. Oral habit is not uncommon in adults, they have either to continue childhood bad habits or practice new oral habit. The adverse effect varies widely on oral and general health. Although the adult population is aware of these side effects few only seek medical advice.Conclusion: In Saudi Arabia, oral habit is not uncommon in adults. So the recommendation for the prevention of oral habits is to embed it in all public services, at strategic and operational levels