Self-reported cardiac risk factors in emergency department nurses and paramedics.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to assess the prevalence of cardiac risk factors in a sample of urban paramedics and emergency department (ED) nurses.


METHODS
We asked 175 paramedics and ED nurses working at a busy, urban ED to complete a cardiovascular risk assessment. The survey asked subjects to report smoking history, diet, exercise habits, weight, stress levels, medication use, history of hypertension or cardiac disease, family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cholesterol level (if known).


RESULTS
129 of 175 surveys were returned (74% return rate) by 85 paramedics and 44 nurses. The percentages of paramedics and nurses at high or very high risk for cardiac disease were 48% and 41%, respectively. Forty-one percent of female respondents and 46% of male respondents were at high or very high risk. Cigarette smoking was reported in 19% of the paramedics and 14% of the nurses. The percentages of paramedics and nurses who reported hypertension were 13% and 11%, respectively. High cholesterol was reported in 31% of paramedics and 16% of nurses.


CONCLUSIONS
Forty-eight percent of paramedics and 41% of ED nurses at this center are at high or very high risk for cardiovascular disease, by self-report. Efforts should be made to better educate and intervene in this population of health-care providers in order to reduce their cardiac risk.
Barrett
T W
TW
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Norton
V C
VC
Busam
M
M
Boyd
J
J
Maron
D J
DJ
Slovis
C M
CM
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology