Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Personnel’s Knowledge in Diagnosing Patients with Cerebral Stroke and Necessary Measures During Transfer To 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 stroke need appropriate treatment in a short time, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel should have the necessary knowledge and awareness in dealing with these patients.
Objective: The present study examines the knowledge of Emergency Medical Service (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 affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2016. EMS personnel with an associate's degree and an emergency medical degree were included in the study. To assess the knowledge of this personnel about Cerebral stroke, a researcher-made questionnaire containing 10 closed-ended questions with multiple-choice answers was used. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were confirmed.
Results: The mean age of 119 EMS personnel was 24.7±2.9 years and all were men. The 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 very well. However, the level of knowledge was very low and low in 2.5% (n=3) and 3.3% (n=4) of EMS personnel, respectively.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that the level of knowledge of EMS personnel in the field of cerebral stroke is very 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.