Core Concepts & Takeaways

• Identify the options for out-of-hospital stroke assessment tools.
• Explain oxygen administration during a stroke emergency.
• Discuss the importance of knowing the timeline of stroke events.
• Identify patients needing rapid transport to the most appropriate stroke hospital.  And,
• Discuss the importance of starting the fibrinolytic check sheet.

An excerpt from the course Paramedic Recert EMS Care | 23-MCIT-F3-4106 | Stroke

Ischemic strokes account for 85% of all strokes and are caused by blood clots.  It is the only type of stroke for which fibrinolytics are administered.

Ischemic strokes due to cerebral thrombosis arise from either atherosclerotic plaques or pressure caused by a brain mass. Typically, cerebral thrombosis-related strokes are linked to a prolonged history of vascular diseases. As a result, most affected individuals are older and exhibit signs of atherosclerosis in other parts of their body, such as angina pectoris, claudication, or previous strokes. The indications and symptoms of a thrombotic stroke encompass the following:

Hemiparesis or hemiplegia on the side of the body opposite the lesion

Numbness (decreased sensation) on the side of the body opposite the lesion

Aphasia

Confusion or coma

Convulsions

Incontinence

Diplopia (double vision)

Monocular blindness (painless visual loss in one eye)

Numbness of the face

Dysarthria (slurred speech)

Headache

Dizziness or vertigo, and,

Ataxia