Diagnosis on the training of medical students for the identification of electrocardiographic alterations

Abstract

Introduction: electrocardiogram is a very useful clinical examination. For that reason, it is necessary to achieve in the students skills allowing its correct interpretation.
Objective: to characterize the training of Medicine students for identifying electrocardiographic alterations during their education at work.
Materials and methods: a cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out at the General Teaching Hospital Dr. Antonio LuacesIraola, of Ciego de Avila, during the 2020-2021 school year. The study population was 21 third-year Medicine students from the Basic Work Team assigned to the Cardiology Ward, to whom a self-assessment survey was applied.
Results: 52% of students self-evaluated Unsatisfactory, and 43% Acceptable in the identification of normal and pathological electrocardiogram. Regarding the relationship between the clinical method and the interpretation of the electrocardiogram for the diagnosis of different cardiovascular diseases, 48% was evaluated Acceptable and 43% Unsatisfactory. In the accuracy when recognizing the origin of each wave, segments or intervals, and each of their pathological deviations, 71% was evaluated Unsatisfactory and 29% Acceptable. In the precision for the diagnosis of potentially life-threatening electrocardiographic syndromes, 91% was evaluated Unsatisfactory; 95% was also evaluated Unsatisfactory in recognizing the electrocardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of cavity hypertrophies.
Conclusions: the diagnosis revealed difficulties assessed as acceptable and unsatisfactory in all indicators, exposed in the students’ self-evaluations.