Which of the following is one of the three criteria used to identify a stroke?

Which of the following is one of the three criteria used to identify a stroke?

• A. Arm drift
• B. GCS of 15
• C. Seizure history
• D. Headache severe

Answer: (A)

Stroke identification in EMS focuses on detecting sudden unilateral weakness. Arm drift tests for this by asking the patient to hold both arms straight out, palms up, with eyes closed; if one arm drifts downward or fails to stay aligned, that indicates a motor deficit on one side. That kind of focal weakness is a hallmark sign of a brain event causing stroke, which is why arm drift is one of the standard signs used in rapid stroke screening. The other options don’t fit the quick screening pattern: a GCS of 15 means the patient is fully alert and does not indicate a unilateral deficit; a seizure history doesn’t by itself identify an acute stroke; and a severe headache, while it can accompany some strokes, is not part of the quick, established stroke-screening triad.

Stroke identification in EMS focuses on detecting sudden unilateral weakness. Arm drift tests for this by asking the patient to hold both arms straight out, palms up, with eyes closed; if one arm drifts downward or fails to stay aligned, that indicates a motor deficit on one side. That kind of focal weakness is a hallmark sign of a brain event causing stroke, which is why arm drift is one of the standard signs used in rapid stroke screening. The other options don’t fit the quick screening pattern: a GCS of 15 means the patient is fully alert and does not indicate a unilateral deficit; a seizure history doesn’t by itself identify an acute stroke; and a severe headache, while it can accompany some strokes, is not part of the quick, established stroke-screening triad.