Medical professionals and even the public have been trained to recognize basic signs of stroke. These include three features of stroke: slurred speech, drooping of one outstretched arm, and drooping of one side of the face when attempting to smile. When one of these signs is present it’s a fairly sensitive indicator of stroke. When all three are present, sensitivity for stroke is approximately 90%. However, when evaluating patients for inclusion in stroke protocols and prior to fibrinolytic stroke treatments, medical professionals use a slightly more sophisticated series of questions. They often use the NIH stroke scale.
The NIH offers training and certification in the administration and scoring of the stroke scale. An overview of the scale is listed below.
The stroke scale items should be presented in order and the score should be reported after each numbered category has been assessed. The score should be based on the patient’s actual performance and what is witnessed by the examiner. It should not be a reflection of what the examiner thinks the patient is able to do. Remember, the patient could be experiencing an acute stroke, so time is of the essence. The examiner should work quickly. On the other hand, the patient should not be coached or aided by anyone, including the examiner. If the patient cannot perform one of the items, indicate the corresponding score, and move onto the next item.
to iew the NIH Stroke Scale click link below: