Preventive Care in Nursing and Midwifery Journal
Thu, Feb 6, 2025
[Archive]
Volume 14, Issue 3 (8-2024)
PCNM 2024, 14(3): 1-10 |
Back to browse issues page
Ethics code: IR. TBZMED.REC.1399.1079
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Javanmardi K, Dadashzadeh A, Feizollahzadeh H, Gilani N, Ghafourifard M, Dehghannejad J. Assessing paramedic performance and background factors in emerging disease outbreak. PCNM 2024; 14 (3) :1-10
URL: http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-917-en.html
URL: http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-917-en.html
Karim Javanmardi 
, Abbas Dadashzadeh , Hossein Feizollahzadeh * , Neda Gilani , Mansour Ghafourifard , Javad Dehghannejad
, Abbas Dadashzadeh , Hossein Feizollahzadeh * , Neda Gilani , Mansour Ghafourifard , Javad Dehghannejad
Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing &Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran , feizollahzadehh@tbzmed.ac.ir
Abstract: (313 Views)
Background: Prehospital paramedics played a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate paramedic performance and background factors in the outbreak of this emerging disease.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 335 paramedics selected from 49 emergency medical services stations in Urmia and Tabriz cities, Iran. Data was collected using a questionnaire to assess the demographics and performance of paramedics in caring for COVID-19 patients. The response rate for the questionnaires was 90%. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis in SPSS version 21. The level of statistical significance was considered less than 0.05.
Results: The average age of the paramedics was 32.81 years (71.3% were 35 years old or younger). Results showed that assessing patients' vital signs, checking for COVID-19 symptoms/signs, administering oxygen and IV fluids, recommending home care, and transporting patients to the emergency department were the most common actions taken by paramedics. Invasive procedures performed by paramedics included cardiopulmonary resuscitation (60.9%), intubation (53.1%), and suctioning (38.8%). However, 15.5% of paramedics reported not performing physical exams on patients due to fear of COVID-19. A statistically significant correlation was observed between paramedics' performance and their education level, educational qualifications, and history of COVID-19 disease (p< 0.001).
Conclusion: Study results provide insight into paramedic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. During emerging disease outbreaks, further training and the provision of necessary personal protective equipment could help paramedics perform all tasks without undue concern for personal safety.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate paramedic performance and background factors in the outbreak of this emerging disease.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 335 paramedics selected from 49 emergency medical services stations in Urmia and Tabriz cities, Iran. Data was collected using a questionnaire to assess the demographics and performance of paramedics in caring for COVID-19 patients. The response rate for the questionnaires was 90%. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis in SPSS version 21. The level of statistical significance was considered less than 0.05.
Results: The average age of the paramedics was 32.81 years (71.3% were 35 years old or younger). Results showed that assessing patients' vital signs, checking for COVID-19 symptoms/signs, administering oxygen and IV fluids, recommending home care, and transporting patients to the emergency department were the most common actions taken by paramedics. Invasive procedures performed by paramedics included cardiopulmonary resuscitation (60.9%), intubation (53.1%), and suctioning (38.8%). However, 15.5% of paramedics reported not performing physical exams on patients due to fear of COVID-19. A statistically significant correlation was observed between paramedics' performance and their education level, educational qualifications, and history of COVID-19 disease (p< 0.001).
Conclusion: Study results provide insight into paramedic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. During emerging disease outbreaks, further training and the provision of necessary personal protective equipment could help paramedics perform all tasks without undue concern for personal safety.
Type of Study: Orginal research |
Subject:
Nursing
Received: 2024/05/15 | Accepted: 2024/08/27 | Published: 2024/08/27
Received: 2024/05/15 | Accepted: 2024/08/27 | Published: 2024/08/27
References
1. Magnusson C, Herlitz J, Karlsson T, Axelsson C. Initial assessment, level of care and outcome among children who were seen by emergency medical services: a prospective observational study. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine. 2018; 26(1):1-11. [Crossref]
2. Caviglia M, Buson R, Pini S, Jambai A, Vandy MJ, Venturini F, et al. The National Emergency Medical Service role during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2020; 35(6):693-7. [Crossref]
3. Gulsen MF, Kurt M, Kaleli I, Ulasti A. Personal protective equipment using in Antalya 112 emergency ambulance services during outbreak. Hsoa Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Surgical Care; 7(4): 1-8. [Crossref]
4. Iran Emergency Organization. The brilliance of Tehran's emergency room in the Corona crisis. Website [cited 2021 August 13]; Available from: URL: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1400/05/22/2553820]. [In Persian].
5. Ventura C, Gibson C, Collier GD. Emergency Medical Services resource capacity and competency amid COVID-19 in the United States: preliminary findings from a national survey. Heliyon. 2020; 6(5): e03900. https://doi.ord/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03900. [Crossref]
6. Jouffroy R, Lemoine S, Derkenne C, Kedzierewicz R, Scannavino M, Bertho K, et al. Prehospital management of acute respiratory distress in suspected COVID-19 patients. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2021; 45:410-4.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2020.09.022 [Crossref]
7. Baldi E, Sechi GM, Mare C, Canevari F, Brancaglione A, Primi R, et al. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2020; 383(5):496-8.
https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2010418 [Crossref]
8. Barry T, Doheny MC, Masterson S, Conroy N, Klimas J, Segurado R, et al. Community first responders for out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest in adults and children. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2019; 7(7): 012764.
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012764 [Crossref]
9. Jafari-Oori M, Dehi M, Ebadi A, Moradian ST, Sadeghi H, Jafari M. Lived experience of Iranian pre-hospital medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive phenomenological study. Frontiers in Psychology. 2023; 14:1230892.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1230892 [Crossref]
10. Harapan H, Itoh N, Yufika A, Winardi W, Keam S, Te H, et al. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A literature review. Journal of Infection and Public Health. 2020; 13(5):667-73.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2020.03.019 [Crossref]
11. Lancet EA, Gonzalez D, Alexandrou NA, Zabar B, Lai PH, Hall CB, et al. Prehospital hypoxemia, measured by pulse oximetry, predicts hospital outcomes during the New York City COVID‐19 pandemic. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open. 2021; 2(2): e12407.
https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12407 [Crossref]
12. Jung H, Lee MJ, Cho JW, Lee SH, Lee SH, Mun YH, et al. External validation of multimodal termination of resuscitation rules for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in the COVID-19 era. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine. 2021; 29(1):1-10. [Crossref]
13. Natalzia P, Murk W, Thompson JJ, Dorsett M, Cushman JT, Reed P, et al. Evidence-based crisis standards of care for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in a pandemic. Resuscitation. 2020; 156:149-56.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2020.07.021 [Crossref]
14. Yang BY, Barnard LM, Emert JM, Drucker C, Schwarcz L, Counts CR, et al. Clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) receiving emergency medical services in King County, Washington. JAMA network open. 2020; 3(7): e2014549-e.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.14549 [Crossref]
15. Friedman J, Calderón-Villarreal A, Bojorquez I, Hernández CV, Schriger DL, Hirashima ET. Excess out-of-hospital mortality and declining oxygen saturation: the sentinel role of emergency medical services data in the COVID-19 crisis in Tijuana, Mexico. Annals of Emergency Medicine.. 2020; 76(4): 413-26. [Crossref]
16. Hilbert-Carius P, Braun J, Abu-Zidan F, Adler J, Knapp J, Dandrifosse D, et al. Pre-hospital care & interfacility transport of 385 COVID-19 emergency patients: an air ambulance perspective. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine. 2020; 28(1): 1-10. [Crossref]
17. Felzen M, Beckers SK, Kork F, Hirsch F, Bergrath S, Sommer A, et al. Utilization, safety, and technical performance of a telemedicine system for prehospital emergency care: observational study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2019; 21(10): e14907.
https://doi.org/10.2196/14907 [Crossref]
18. Gupta AK, Mehra A, Niraula A, Kafle K, Deo SP, Singh B, et al. Prevalence of anxiety and depression among the healthcare workers in Nepal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. 2020; 54(1): 102260.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102260 [Crossref]
19. McConnell D, Slevin OD, McIlfatrick SJ. Emergency nurse practitioners' perceptions of their role and scope of practice: Is it advanced practice? International Emergency Nursing. 2013; 21(2): 76-83. [Crossref]
20. Walsh M. The emerging role of the nurse practitioner in A&E. Emergency Nurse. 2000; 7(10): 20-4.
https://doi.org/10.7748/en2000.03.7.10.20.c1263 [Crossref]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
