Assessment of knowledge and skill of pre-hospital emergency technicians in the management of patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in Neyshabour, Iran, in 2021

The present descriptive study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the knowledge and skill of pre-hospital emergency technicians in Neyshabour, Iran, in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Pre-hospital emergency personnel who have sufficient knowledge and skill to diagnose, giving care and transfer of patients can increase the chance of survival and decrease the possibility of acute and chronic complications of the disease.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 126 operational personnel working in the emergency medical center of Neyshabour City, Iran, were recruited by census sampling and participated in the study during a one year period in 2021. The data was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire including demographic information, knowledge level questionnaire, and a pre-hospital emergency personnel skill checklist measuring the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 19 through descriptive statistics.

The overall knowledge score of the majority of participants in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome was at a good level (58.7 percent); the highest knowledge score was reported in the interpretation of electrocardiography and the lowest knowledge score was in diagnosing the symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. Finally, the overall skill score of the majority of pre-hospital emergency technicians was at a good level (79.4 percent); the highest skill score was reported in the principles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the lowest skill score was in performing cardiac monitoring and detecting arrhythmias.

The majority of pre-hospital emergency technicians had an acceptable level of knowledge and skill in the field of managing patients with acute coronary syndrome, but some skills were far from the desired level. Therefore, due to the importance of strengthening the knowledge and skills of pre-hospital emergency personnel, as the first members of the emergency team dealing with cardiac patients, in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome, regular training and awareness of updated guidelines are recommended.