A stroke occurs when the supply of oxygen-rich blood to a part of the brain is blocked or when bleeding from a blood vessel within the skull occurs.
A stroke should always be treated as a time-critical medical emergency.
Signs and symptoms
During your secondary assessment, use the FAST acronym to identify a stroke.
F —facial weakness—can the person smile without one side of their face drooping somewhere?
A —arm weakness—can the person raise both arms?
S —speech difficulties—can the person speak clearly or understand what you say?
T —time to act—it’s time to send for help and request an ambulance if the person cannot perform these actions.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
- difficulty swallowing
- dizziness, loss of balance
- drowsiness and/or confusion
- nausea or vomiting
- paralysis, numbness, weakness or loss of limb coordination, sometimes on only one side of the body
- severe headache
- slurred speech
- sudden loss of, decrease of or blurred vision
- unequal pupils
- urinary incontinence
- warm, flushed, clammy skin.
Management
- Send for help, additional resources (AED) and request an ambulance.
- Reassure and advise the person to sit or lie down comfortably and rest, taking care that the airway does not become blocked or obstructed.
- Maintain the person’s body temperature.
- Monitor and reassure the person while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Note
- A person may not present all the signs or experience all the symptoms of a stroke. Seek advanced medical assistance if one or more of the signs or symptoms are present.
- Commence CPR and apply an AED if the person becomes unconscious and is not breathing normally.
- Do NOT give the person anything to eat or drink.
- First responders qualified in advanced resuscitation may safely administer oxygen to persons showing the signs and symptoms of stroke. Refer to the SLS Pathways website or the appropriate person at your SLS club for more information on advanced resuscitation training.
- Place the person in the recovery (lateral) position if they become unconscious and are breathing normally.
- Refer to the latest ARC Guideline for Stroke to learn more.