Development and Validation of a Geriatrics Knowledge Test to Evaluate Geriatrics Fellowship Programs.

Background/objectives: Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires that geriatrics fellowship programs be evaluated, evaluation is challenging because of lack of appropriate instruments. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a geriatrics knowledge test appropriate for evaluation of geriatrics fellowship programs.

Design: Initial and replication cross-sectional validation studies.

Characteristics of older at-risk drinkers who drive after drinking and those who do not drive after drinking.

Objective: To describe and compare characteristics of older adults who drive after drinking and those who do not, whether an intervention addressing at-risk drinking reduces risk among those reporting driving after drinking, and reasons reported for driving after drinking.

Methods: Secondary data analysis of a randomized trial testing the efficacy of a multifaceted intervention to reduce at-risk drinking among adults with a mean age of 68 years in primary care (N = 631).

Results: Almost a quarter of at-risk drinkers reported driving after drinking (N = 154).

Evaluation of single versus multiple cryogen spray cooling spurts on in vitro model human skin.

Many commercially available dermatologic lasers utilize cryogen spray cooling for epidermal protection. A previous tissue culture study demonstrated that single cryogen spurts (SCS) of 80 ms or less were unlikely to cause cryo-injury in light-skinned individuals. More recently, multiple cryogen spurts (MCS) have been incorporated into commercial devices, but the effects of MCS have not been evaluated.

Skin model surface temperatures during single and multiple cryogen spurts used in laser dermatologic surgery.

Background: Although cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is used to minimize the risk of epidermal damage during laser dermatologic surgery, concern has been expressed that CSC may induce cryo-injury. In order to address this concern, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of prolonged exposure of human skin phantoms (HSP) to CSC.

Objective: To measure the minimum surface temperature (T(min)) and the time at which it occurs (t(Tmin)) as well as determine the time the sprayed HSP surface remains below 0 degrees C (sub-zero time, Deltat(s)) and -26 degrees C (residence time, Deltat(r)) during the application of single (SCS) and multiple (MCS) cryogen spurts.