Comparison of educational effectiveness between lecture and demonstration based methods on emergency medical services providers of Mashhad city in dealing with patients suspected of having acute coronary syndrome

acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a common cause of emergency visit. Early administration of aspirin is associated with decreased mortality rate. Thus، aspirin should be administrated immediately to the patient with suspected ACS. Emergency medical services (EMS) providers should be trained to respond to heart emergencies and become familiar with presentations and complications of ACS. In this study، the effect of two educational methods – lecture and demonstration – on EMS providers were compared. A total of 30 EMS providers were enrolled in this interventional study. One group attended the lecture and classroom training and the second group was trained with demonstration in skill lab center. Ten days after the course، they were evaluated in dealing with ACS patients. EMS evaluation was according to patients transfer official forms. Data analyzed by SPSS software with chi-square test. Overall 410 patients with possible acute coronary syndrome who were transferred to Medical Center by EMS divided into 2 groups (243 and 167 patients). In the first group، patients received 32. 1% aspirin، 75. 3% nitroglycerin and 90. 1% oxygen while the second group received 49. 7 % aspirin، 58. 7% nitroglycerin and 90. 1% oxygen. In the first group، 43. 1% of 183 patients who had received nitroglycerin، also received aspirin. In the second group 67. 3% of 98 nitroglycerin received patients، had also received aspirin. None of the patients received Morphine، cardiac monitoring and ECG. Findings showed 17. 6% increase in aspirin administration and other management practices (nitroglycerin and oxygen) in the second group. None of the patients received cardiac monitoring. EMS providers usually use less beneficial interventions such as IV line، nitroglycerin and oxygen.