Introduction:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 1.35 million people die on the world's roads every year. WHO indicated that incorrect pre-medical aid is one of the risk factors for deaths from road traffic injuries.

Objectives:
The aim of the study is to assess pre-medical care provided to victims of road traffic accidents (RTAs) by eyewitnesses.

Methods:
The study period was May 1st to October 31nd 2022, in Armenia, Yerevan. A prospective study design was chosen and a semi-structured questionnaire was used that included quantitative and qualitative questions. Universal sampling was used and all the ambulance doctors who were on call to assist in RTAs were included in the study. RTA cases were taken from the road police of Armenia. Data were analyzed using SPSS program. Results: From a total of 153 cases, the health condition of 99 victims was mild, for 28 it was moderate, for 18 it was severe (unconscious), and for 8 it was extremely severe (unconscious). Doctors noted that eyewitnesses had been active in trying to assist victims - more often pulling them out of cars (in 104 cases had tried, 49 cases had not). In 110 cases, eyewitnesses had tried to provide assistance, while in 29 cases the eyewitnesses had done nothing. As for the last 14 cases, the doctors weren’t sure if any pre-medical aid had been provided. Eyewitnesses attempted to stop bleeding in 57 cases, did nothing in 70 cases (including cases where no one was nearby), and there was no bleeding in 24 cases. In 2 cases, the interviewees could not recall if there was bleeding. The doctors noted that the main mistake made by eyewitnesses was moving RTA victims from cars without immobilizing the injured area, which occurred in only 5% of cases. Some of the interviewed doctors believed that it would have been better if eyewitnesses had not interfered with their work. However, other respondents stressed the importance of stopping bleeding and immobilizing victims before the ambulance arrives.

Conclusion:
The majority of the interviewed emergency doctors noted that the population does not have basic knowledge of the provision of first aid and it is necessary to provide the population with theoretical and practical knowledge. They also identified a lack of first aid knowledge as the main reason for patient conditions worsening in 81% of cases.

Keywords: Road traffic accidents, eyewitnesses, victims, first aid.

Other info: Yerevan State Medical University - Yerevan  - Armenia: Anna Mnatsakanyan, Kelli Kulikova