Birmingham mandible and midface rules: determining variables for inclusion in a clinical predictor rule

Birmingham mandible and midface rules: determining variables for inclusion in a clinical predictor rule:



Staff in emergency departments often rely on heuristics and algorithms to make clinical decisions on a wide range of problems. Clinical predictor rules such as the Ottawa ankle rules serve to reduce the need for unnecessary radiographs and help to give frontline staff the confidence to make a diagnosis. The current study aimed to achieve consensus on the variables to test for inclusion in a set of predictor rules for suspected fractures of the mandible and midface. A three-stage modified Delphi study was conducted of members and fellows of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS).