BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) measurement is a routine procedure but errors are frequently committed during BP recording. AIMS AND SETTINGS: The aim of the study was to look at the prevalent practices in the institute regarding BP recording. The study was conducted in the Medicine Department at Government Medical College, Chandigarh, a teaching institute for MBBS students. METHODS: A prospective, observational study was performed amongst the 80 doctors in a tertiary care hospital. All of them were observed by a single observer during the act of BP recording. The observer was well versed with the guidelines issued by British Hypertension Society (BHS) and the deviations from the standard set of guidelines issued by BHS were noted. The errors were defined as deviations from these guidelines. STATISTICAL METHODS: The results were recorded as percentage of doctors committing these errors. RESULTS: In our study, 90% used mercury type sphygmomanometer. Zero error of the apparatus, hand dominance was not noted by any one. Every one used the standard BP cuff for recording BP. 70% of them did not let the patient rest before recording BP. 80% did not remove the clothing from the arm. None of them recorded BP in both arms. In out patient setting, 80% recorded blood pressure in sitting position and 14% in supine position. In all the patients where BP was recorded in sitting position BP apparatus was below the level of heart and 20% did not have their arm supported. 60% did not use palpatory method for noticing systolic BP and 70% did not raise pressure 30-40 mm Hg above the systolic level before checking the BP by auscultation. 80% lowered the BP at a rate of more than 2 mm/s and 60% rounded off the BP to nearest 5-10 mm Hg. 70% recorded BP only once and 90% of the rest re inflated the cuff without completely deflating and allowing rest before a second reading was obtained. CONCLUSION: The practice of recording BP in our hospital varies from the standard guidelines issued by the BHS.
Introduction: Even though role-play promotes active learning, some students have considered it as the least preferred teaching method. This study was undertaken to determine the perceptions of first year medical students in an Indian medical college about the use of role-play in Physiology as a teaching-learning method and to determine if the perceptions varied between the role-players and the observers of the role-play as this has not been sufficiently explored by previous researchers.
Methods: 46 first year medical students took part in the role-play and 97 students were observers. All 143 students completed a 12 item questionnaire about their perceptions regarding the use of role play in Physiology using a 5 point Likert response scale and results were analysed using SPSS 17.
Results: The majority of students perceived role-play to be interesting (95.80%), lively (86.01%), helpful in breaking monotony (96.50%) and in visualizing clinical features (86.71%). 83.22% felt that the role-play helped them learn attitudes of a doctor while treating patients and 87.41% felt that role-play was useful in learning communication skills. The role-play was considered to be realistic, facilitating the transition from classroom to clinical wards and while being appropriate for their level was also felt to be applicable to other undergraduate students. Comparison of the observers and role players’ scores showed no significant difference in perceptions (p value 0.409) ie., both groups perceived role play positively.
Conclusion: From the perspective of first year Indian medical students, role-plays in Physiology are perceived positively.
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