title: Survey of the knowledge and management of transient ischemic attacks among primary care physicians and nurses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) patients often report that Primary Care physicians (PCPs) and nurses are their main medical contacts after onset of symptoms in our health area. There are few studies on the knowledge and management of TIA among Community and Family Medicine professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our aim was to study the current knowledge and practice in the management of TIA patients among Primary Care physicians and nurses. A cross-sectional survey with seven questions about TIA was conducted among 640 PCPs and nurses from Primary Care centres in our health area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 285 (46.7% PCPs) took participate in the study. Of these, 239 (83.9%) participants knew the duration of a TIA. However only 40 (14%) recognised all clinical symptoms. An urgent neuroimaging was preferred by 67%. Only 42.5% agreed that an urgent cervical duplex would be useful in these patients. Transcranial Doppler was recognised by only 35.4%. A majority (78.2%) of participants agreed that TIA patients must be admitted to hospital. PCPs had the best knowledge of TIA (odds ratio [OR] 2.138; 95% CI 1.124-4.067; P = 0.021) but there were no differences between physicians and nurses on the management of these patients. Nurses from rural Primary Care centers had the worst level of knowledge (OR 0.410; 95% CI 0.189-0.891; P = 0.024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TIA was well recognized as a medical emergency. However, knowledge of clinical symptoms of TIA must be improved.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Ictus, Sección de Neurología, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova de Lleida, Universitat de Lleida, Institut de Recerca en Biomedicina de Lleida (IRBLleida), Spain. 　fpurroygarcia@gmail.com
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Purroy
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cruz Esteve
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Galindo Ortego
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Marsal Mora
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oró
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000193:education*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult