Manual de técnicas, procedimientos y contribución de enfermería al diagnóstico clínico, dentro de la tecnología no invasiva cardiovascular, en pacientes adultos del Instituto de Cardiología de Corrientes "Juana F. Cabral"

Descripción de las técnicas para realizar el diagnóstico con tecnología no invasiva cardiovascular en adultos. Se describe con detalle formas de aplicar los instrumentos, cuidados con el paciente e interpretación de los trazados en electrocardiografía común y dinámica (Holter) y ergometría, ecocardiografía uni y bidimensional, ecocardiograma Doppler y la presurometria que analiza la presión sanguinea. Señala los aportes de enfermería

Manual de técnicas, procedimientos y contribución de enfermería al diagnóstico clínico, dentro de la tecnología no invasiva cardiovascular, en pacientes adultos del Instituto de Cardiología de Corrientes "Juana F. Cabral"

Descripción de las técnicas para realizar el diagnóstico con tecnología no invasiva cardiovascular en adultos. Se describe con detalle formas de aplicar los instrumentos, cuidados con el paciente e interpretación de los trazados en electrocardiografía común y dinámica (Holter) y ergometría, ecocardiografía uni y bidimensional, ecocardiograma Doppler y la presurometria que analiza la presión sanguinea. Señala los aportes de enfermería

Resuscitation skills of first year postgraduate doctors.

The resuscitation skills of twenty seven doctors in their preregistration year were examined using a series of mock clinical scenarios and theoretical testing. All failed to reach basic life support standards of the American Heart Association and major deficiencies were revealed in the provision of ventilatory support, pharmacological therapy and the use of resuscitation equipment. Specific educational deficiencies that were apparent included: (1) early initial training without subsequent revision or testing; (2) the inadequate gaining of practical skills and equipment familiarity during the trainee intern and first year house officer years; and (3) an ill defined curriculum of emergency care that was fragmented between specialties and between lay and medical teachers.

Computer-assisted learning compared with weekly seminars for teaching fundamental electrocardiography to junior medical students.

This study was designed to assess whether a self-study interactive computer program is more effective than weekly seminars for teaching fundamental skills of electrocardiographic interpretation to junior medical students. Forty-two students were assigned to the computer and 41 to the seminar group. A test was given to each participant at the beginning and end of each rotation. The computer group used a computer-assisted learning program, and the seminar group met weekly with a cardiologist to review electrocardiograms. Attendance at a minimum of 80% of the seminars or completion of 80% of the computer-assisted learning program was required for inclusion in the statistical analysis. The mean difference in test scores before and after study was 5.69 for the computer group and 4.36 for the seminar group (P less than .02 by one-tailed t-test). These results indicate that the computer group performed significantly better than the seminar group. We believe this difference to be educationally important.

A criterion-referenced examination in cardiovascular disease.

This study described criterion-referenced tests of electrocardiograph reading skill and basic knowledge in cardiology, assessed their dependability and validity, and explored their impact on overall certification rates. Data indicated that the standard-setting processes and the two criterion-referenced tests produced dependable results both separately and together. Scores of each had the expected relationships with quality of residency training and experience with the examination. Moreover, these sections of the examination identified a small subset of examinees who failed the criterion-referenced sections but passed the norm-referenced examinations. Taken as a whole these results replicate the findings of an earlier study in terms of a criterion-referenced test of electrocardiograph reading skill and extended them to a criterion-referenced test of basic knowledge in cardiology.

Concise education of ambulance personnel in ECG interpretation and out of hospital defibrillation.

We describe an 8 hour training program for ambulance personnel in the management of cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. The effect of the program over a one year period is evaluated using ECG recordings and case records from the event. Emergency medical technicians manning three hospital-based ambulances were given an 8 hour theoretical and practical course followed by an examination. Fifty-nine emergency medical technicians went through the training; 52 passed the examination at the first attempt and 6 at the second (88% and 98%, respectively). The medical technicians started resuscitative procedures in 277 out of hospital cardiac arrest patients. 127 showed ventricular fibrillation at initiation of resuscitation and of these, 125 were given direct current cardioversion (DC shock) (98%). In 19 cases ventricular fibrillation persisted following defibrillation. In 9 cases no further defibrillation was attempted following our standard instructions; in the remaining 10 the ECG findings could not be interpreted by the technicians. Cardioversion was carried out in three cases, despite absence of ventricular fibrillation, one in desperation and two following misinterpretation of the ECG. A short training program for ambulance personnel seems to be sufficient with regard to the management of patients found in ventricular fibrillation and may be used by other ambulance services.

Computers in health-sciences education. An application to electrocardiography.

Aspects of a computer-based education (CBE) are described. Recent developments in the use of computer in health-sciences education are highlighted. An interactive computer system ( CALE ) has been developed to provide individualised instruction and testing for biomedical and medical sciences students. CALE is a system for computer assisted learning of electrocardiography which consists of an organizer program and few subprograms . The system has a self-instruction mode which is equivalent to lecturing . Moreover, review questions are supplied either in multiple choice questions ( MCQ ) and/or matched questions and answers ( MQA ) forms. Furthermore, the system can stimulate normal as well as abnormal electrocardiograms. A statistical program is included to evaluate the performance of the students while using the CALE -system. A comment file is created so that the users can register their comments about the CALE and the difficulties they have faced in using the system. CALE is easy to use and requires no knowledge of programming. The feedback obtained from the students currently using the system is encouraging. CALE is written in Data General FORTRAN 5.