Knowledge of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel in diagnosing patients with cerebral stroke and the necessary measures during transfer to a hospital

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 strokes require appropriate treatment in a short time, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel need to have the necessary knowledge to deal with these patients.Objective: This study aims to examine the knowledge of Iranian EMS personnel in diagnosing patients with cerebral stroke and the necessary measures during transfer to the hospital.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in pre-hospital emergency centers in Iran in ۲۰۲۱. A researcher-made questionnaire containing ۲۰ closed-ended questions with multiple-choice answers was used to assess the knowledge of the EMS personnel about cerebral stroke. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were confirmed.Results: The mean age of the ۱۳۶ EMS personnel was ۳۲.۴±۵.۸ years old, and all of them were men. The total mean score of EMS knowledge regarding diagnosing patients with cerebral stroke and necessary measures during transfer to the hospital was ۱۵.۹±۲.۱ out of ۲۰. According to the cut-off, the level of knowledge was estimated to be good. However, the knowledge level was poor and very poor in ۲.۲% (n = ۳) and ۱.۵% (n = ۲) 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. Due to the job sensitivity of these personnel, it is necessary for all of them to have concise knowledge about it and be able to use it properly.

کلیدواژه ها:

Stroke ، Knowledge ، Emergency Medical Service (EMS)