Drugcalculationabilityofqualifiedparamedics:Apilotstudy
WorldJournalofEmergencyMedicine
頁數(shù): 5 2018-01-15
摘要: BACKGROUND:Theinabilityofparamedicstoperformaccuratecalculationsmayresultinacompromiseofpatientsafetywhichmayresultfromunderoroverdosingofdrugs,incorrectjoulesfordefibrillation,oramajoradverseeventsuchasdeath.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastoidentifythedrugcalculationandmathematicalabilityofqualifiedoperationalparamedics.METHODS:Thestudyusedacross-sectionaldesignwithapaper-basedcalculationquestionnaire.Twentyparamedicsenrolledinanintensivecareparamediccoursewereeligibletoparticipateinthestudy.Thequestionnaireconsistedofdemographic,drugcalculation(sevenquestions),andmathematical(five)questions.Studentsweregivennonoticeoftheimpendingstudyanduseofacalculatorwasnotpermitted.RESULTS:Alleligiblestudentsparticipatedinthestudy.Theaveragetimeemployedasaparamedicwas7.25years,SD2.5years,rangefouryearstotwelveyears.Four(20%)studentsgotall12questionscorrect,andfive(41.6%)got50%orless.Theaveragescorewas8.6(71.7%)correct,SD2.8correct,range3to12correctquestions.Therewereeight(40%)conceptualerrors,12(60%)arithmeticalerrors,andfive(25%)computationalerrors.CONCLUSION:Theresultsfromthisstudysupportssimilarinternationalstudieswhereparamedicsabilitytoundertakemathematicalanddrugcalculationswithoutacalculatorvaries,withsomeresultshighlightingtheparamedicsmathematicalskillsasapotentialrisktopatientsafety.Theseresultshighlighttheneedforregularcontinuingmathematicalanddrugcalculationpracticeandeducationtoensurealowererrorrate. (共5頁)