Confidence Level and Knowledge of Pre-hospital Thrombolysis Therapy of Paramedic in Pre-hospital Care: A Survey
Survey on Pre-hospital Thrombolysis among Paramedics
Vol. 14 No. 1 : 2019 (34-43)
Abstract
Data on knowledge, attitude and ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) electrocardiography (ECG) detection among pre-hospital paramedics in Malaysia is still scarce. It is imperative to gain this information as a pre-requisite in initiating pre-hospital thrombolysis. This was a descriptive study conducted from May 2016 until November 2017 on paramedics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center (UKMMC) and Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL). It was to assess knowledge on pre-hospital thrombolytic therapy and ECG detection of STEMI. One hundred and six questionnaires were answered and analyzed. More than 60% of the candidates were unable to detect STEMI ECG changes and lacked of confidence in handling and administering thrombolytic treatment at the level of pre-hospital phase. Only 20.8% candidates managed to detect more than 8/10 of the correct ECG pattern in STEMI. Less than 40% of the candidates achieved more than 80% marks in answering questions regarding STEMI and treatment. It is concluded that the overall performance and knowledge of paramedic regarding pre-hospital thrombolytic therapy is generally poor. Further training need to be done prior to implementing pre-hospital STEMI thrombolytic therapy in Malaysia.
Keywords :
ECG,
prehospital,
STEMI,
thrombolytic therapy,
Correspondance Address
Nik Azlan Nik Muhamad. Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603-9145 5555 Email: nikazlanmuhamad@hotmail.com
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