Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Personnel’s Knowledge in Diagnosing Patients with Cerebral Stroke and Necessary Measures During Transfer To Hospital

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Emergency Medicine, Yazd University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Background: Cerebral Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and the most common cause of chronic disability in adults and the elderly. Because all emergency patients with cerebral stroke need appropriate treatment in a short time, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel should have the necessary knowledge in dealing with these patients.
Objective: The present study examines the knowledge of Iranian EMS Personnel in diagnosing patients with cerebral stroke and necessary measures during transfer to hospital.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in pre-hospital emergency centers in Iran in 2021. To assess the knowledge of the EMS personnel about cerebral stroke, a researcher-made questionnaire containing 20 closed-ended questions with multiple-choice answers was used. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were confirmed.
Results: The mean age of 136 EMS personnel was 32.4±5.8 years old and all were men. The total mean score of EMS knowledge regarding diagnosing patients with cerebral stroke and necessary measures during transfer to hospital was 15.9±2.1 out of 20, which according to the cut-off, the level of knowledge was estimated good. However, the level of knowledge was poor and very poor in 2.2% (n=3) and 1.5% (n=2) of EMS personnel, respectively.
Conclusion: The current findings showed that the knowledge level of Iranian EMS personnel in the field of cerebral stroke is good and desirable. However, the knowledge of a very small percentage of EMS personnel is at a poor or very poor level, and due to the job sensitivity of this personnel, it requires that all of them have concise knowledge about it and can use it properly.

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