Determination nurses’ knowledge about initial drugs used during emergency management of acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Objective: Acute myocardial infarction is a life threatening condition that influences the physical, psychological and social dimensions of the individual. The aim of this study was conducted to determine nurses’ knowledge of initial treatment during an emergency management of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: A descriptive study was used. The standardized administered questionnaires were administered on 139 critical care nurses who are employed in five teaching hospitals at Khartoum state/Sudan. Data processed using the statistical package software (SPSS); version 19, Chi-Square test was used, p-value of < .05 considered statistically significant for the analysis.

Results: The study results revealed that the total mean knowledge scores of the studied subjects related to the initial treatment of acute myocardium infarction was found to be low than  bench mark with t & p values (t = 6.87 at p = .000). Also, most of studied subjects had poor level of knowledge regarding thrombolytic agents specifically about characteristics of streptokinase, indications, contraindications and complications; even among trained nurses (p values = .000).

Conclusions: The studied subjects had poor levels of knowledge related to the drugs used for initial management of acute myocardial infarction specifically those related to understanding the thrombolytic agents.