Assessment of the experience of Saudi emergency medical services personnel with acute stroke. On-scene stroke identification, triaging, and dispatch of acute stroke patients.

Objective: To assess the knowledge, experience, and the impact of seniority of Saudi emergency services (EMS) personnel in dealing with acute stroke patients.

Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional survey using a 3-part structured questionnaire involving 102 EMS personnel in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between October and December 2011. We assessed participants` demographic factors, their ability to identify cardinal symptoms of stroke, use of assessment tools, knowledge of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), and dispatch of patients.