A comparison of opinions from parents of disabled and non-disabled children on behavior management techniques used in dentistry.

The purposes of this study were to compare the acceptance of pediatric dental behavioral management techniques by 40 parents of children with disabilities with that of 40 parents whose children were not disabled and to determine the effect of prior information on the level of acceptance for both groups of parents. An instrument containing a demographic questionnaire and using a visual analog scale asked parents to indicate acceptance level of hand-over mouth, sedation, restraint using Papoose board, and general anesthesia for either a check-up/cleaning, dental filling, or treatment of a toothache. One half of each parent group received a written description and rationale for the behavior management technique prior to rating acceptance, and the other half did not. Although differences were found between parents of the disabled and non-disabled and between those informed and not informed, only one technique and procedure (restraint for check-up/cleaning) was significantly different for acceptability (p < or = 0.05), and that was between uninformed parents of non-disabled children and informed parents of disabled children. We conclude that having a disabled child or receiving a prior rational for pediatric behavior management techniques was not significantly related to differences in acceptance of the techniques for the procedures described.

Sensitivity and specificity of death certificate diagnoses for dementing illnesses, 1988-1990.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the extent to which mortality data, which is often used to track secular trends for specific diseases, underestimates the prevalence of dementia. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of existing data. SETTING: Department of Mental Health inpatient facilities in South Carolina. SUBJECTS: Inpatients at Department of Mental Health facilities who were listed in the South Carolina Statewide Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Registry and who died between 1988 and 1990 (n = 450). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensitivity and specificity of dementia diagnoses on death certificates compared to medical record diagnoses for inpatients with a pre-mortem dementia diagnosis. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of death certificates contained any dementia diagnosis (104/450). The sensitivity of death certificates varied by type of dementia (28 percent for Alzheimer's disease; 8 percent for multi-infarct dementia) as well as by race, sex, and age. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality statistics substantially underestimate the prevalence of dementing illnesses and do not fully represent the public health burden of dementia.

A report on dementia in South Carolina, 1988-1990.

With the over age 65 population growing at a faster rate than the under 65 population, and with the strong effect of age on the incidence and prevalence of dementia, South Carolina faces a major health problem among its elderly residents by the year 2010. This report summarizes data on the 4,283 persons identified by the Statewide Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Registry during the period 1988 to 1990. Sixty-one percent of these cases had a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia and 62 percent of these were currently institutionalized. The demographic distribution of the AD cases did not change over the three-year period. Compared to community cases, those in institutions were generally older, and more likely to be women, unmarried, and white. The average time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis of AD was about five years.

Distribution of major dementias by race and sex in South Carolina.

Preliminary data from the newly implemented Registry for dementing illnesses was used to examine the distribution of four types of dementia in black and white residents of South Carolina. The data for 1464 subjects were abstracted by field research nurses in state mental health facilities. Overall, 649 patients (44.3%) were black and 765 (52.3%) were white. Women comprised 53.8% of all cases of dementia in this study. The overall distribution included 66% Alzheimer's disease (AD), 12% multi-infarct dementia (MID), 10% alcoholic dementia (ALC), nine percent other-medical and three percent other-unspecified. Though the proportion of blacks does not exceed one-third of the total population of S.C., blacks comprised 44.3% of all cases of dementia. AD accounted for 79% of all cases of dementia in women, but only 51% of such cases in demented men, who showed an apparent preoponderance of MID and alcoholic dementia. The frequency distribution of MID was equal in blacks and whites. Educational level had no discernible effects. Though not directly comparable, these preliminary findings are similar to those of the Copiah County Study, including a higher frequency of AD with advancing age.