OSCE results in undergraduate medical students at the end of the clerckship.

The efficacy of the prehospital care provided by Tehran Emergency Service in Trauma patients referred to

Sina Hospital during September 2002 and 2003.

The prospective study was performed on trauma patients referred to the emergency department of a

teaching hospital by the Tehran EMS from September 2004 until 2005. Considering the lack of scientific

observation-based protocols on pre-hospital care, certain protocols were developed based on the

available up-to-date protocols in the emergency medicine text books and were used as the gold standard

for comparing the provided care by EMSs. The effectiveness of pre-hospital care performed by Tehran

emergency technicians, compatible with the patients' condition, was evaluated in 994 patients. According

to the results, wound bandaging and haemostasis were done correctly in 80% of the indicated cases.

Splint was applied correctly in 50% of patients in need for such a device, whereas collar and spinal bed

were not performed in 80% of the indicated cases. Tehran's EMS is not capable of providing trauma

patients with effective and accurate pre-hospital care, indicating that major changes are needed to improve

this.