Practice Recommendations: Stroke Recognition

Recommendation	Level of Evidence
2.0 Nurses in all practice settings should recognize the new onset of the signs and symptoms of stroke as a medical emergency to expedite access to time dependent stroke therapy, as "time is brain"	IV

Signs and symptoms of stroke

The signs and symptoms of stroke include:

Weakness: Leg, arm or facial weakness on one side of the body (hemiparesis) or numbness and tingling in the face, arm or leg (dysesthesia)
Trouble speaking: Slurred speech (dysarthria) or inability to speak and/or understand (aphasia)
Visual disturbances: Loss of vision, particularly in one eye or double vision
Headache: Sudden, severe and unusual headache
Dizziness: Sudden onset vertigo, associated with nausea and lack of coordination (ataxia) (HSFO, 2003b)