International Cardiovascular Research Meeting. Copernicus Award Session

Abstract

Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of disability among adult patients. Poor awareness regarding stroke emergencies and symptoms limits its effective therapy. School promotion of the essential knowledge about stroke manifestations may be beneficial, however little is known about its efficacy among Polish pupils. Therefore we aimed asses the effects of education campaign on of stroke knowledge among primary school kids. Methods: Dedicated educational campaign entitled "uDARuj Zdrowie" including 45 minutes lesson with movie presentation has been performed among pupils from III class of primary school. Kids answered the questionnaire of: 9 one-choice questions concerning stroke awareness and first aid procedures and 1 question regarding typical stroke symptoms before and +/-12 months after the lesson. Results: 287 kids participated in lessons, and 145 responded the questionnaire after the follow up. Median of correct answers regarding stroke awareness and first aid procedures were 5 (0-5) before and 6 (1-9) after the follow up (p < 0.01), including: cause of a stroke 32.12% vs. 37.41% (p < 0.01), immediate call for ambulance 62.21% vs. 82.44% (p < 0.01) and therapeutic time window 89.21% vs. 95.83% (p < 0.01). Median of recognized stroke symptoms was 2 before and 4 after the follow up (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Dedicated educational campaign improves kids knowledge about stroke symptoms and procedures. Basic stroke education should be implemented in primary education. 2. Predictors of an early diagnosis of total occlusion of infarct-related artery in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)