Journal of

Background and aim: One of the most important technological advancements for monitoring patients -- especially in anesthesia, recovery, and Intensive Care stages -- is pulse oximetry which can measure the oxygen saturation of arterial blood (spo2) and show hypoxemia before it is clinically observable. Therefore, it is necessary for the individuals who are responsible for treating and taking care of patients in critical stages to have sufficient knowledge about it. If they lack the required knowledge, they should be trained using appropriate methods.

Materials and methods: Upon referring to the ORs and the ICUs, a questionnaire was distributed among the medical and paramedical staff (doctors, nurses, anesthesia technicians, etc.) to assess their knowledge of pulse oximetry. The questionnaire had a part for demographic data and 20 true/false items and was to be filled in by the subjects in 15 minutes. After the data were collected and analyzed, the subjects' level of knowledge about pulse oximetry was assessed in terms of age, sex, academic degree, their experience with the device, and how they had obtained information about pulse oximetry. The variable was measured on a 0-20 scale. The subjects would get one point for every correct response and the total number of correct responses would constitute each individual's score.

Results: The results of the study show that only 15.8% of the participants had a high level of knowledge of pulse oximetry. The figure was 61% for those having medium-level knowledge and 23.2% for the individuals with low knowledge. In other words, for the optimal use of the device, 84.2% of the subjects need training. The results also indicate that the subjects' level of knowledge is positively related to their sex, academic degree, and how they acquired their knowledge. In fact, female subjects, paramedical staff, and those who had obtained information from colleagues and the companies selling the device had a lower level of knowledge needed for using the device properly. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the subjects' knowledge of pulse oximetry and their age and experience with the device.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is necessary for the female members of paramedical staff to be trained in classes and/or be provided with pamphlets on the issue. 

Background and Aim: Medical Laboratory Sciences is one of the important fields in Medicine that is closely associated with other disciplines in this group. This study aims to evaluate laboratory sciences curriculum in Iran and several countries worldwide.

Materials and Methods: In this research, data collection is based on documents and curriculum goals of countries. The data collected was analyzed using qualitative methods.

Results: Comparative study of curriculum courses of bachelor of Laboratory Medical sciences was done and compared with the number of basic and specific units in Iran and other countries.

The curriculum in Iran with Turkey and Australia is remarkably consistent. Internship units in hospitals have lower returns in compared to other universities in the world.

Conclusion: Laboratory Science curriculum in Iran is matched with developing countries. However, more attention to training units and projects to improve the quality of teaching laboratory sciences could be more effective.