The Knowledge of Emergency Medical Technicians of Prehospital Care Intensity Index of Spinal Cord Trauma in Ilam Province, Iran

Abstract

Background: The knowledge of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) plays a crucial role in the outcomes of traumatic patients. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of EMTs about the prehospital care intensity index of spinal cord trauma in Ilam Province, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 98 EMTs chosen by the census sampling method. The study data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on the prehospital care intensity index of spinal cord trauma and were analyzed with SPSS 16. Results: The knowledge of the prehospital care intensity index of spinal cord trauma was at the advanced level in 87.7% of EMTs and the intermediate level in 15.3% of EMTs. There was a significant relationship between the technician’s knowledge score and variables such as age, work record, overtime hours, and the number of missions (P˂0.05). Conclusion: EMTs needed more specialized information on spinal trauma. It was recommended to hold in-service training programs more precisely and consider the training of necessary skills that most EMTs require.

Keywords

• knowledge
• prehospital care
• trauma
• spinal cord
• iran