Prehospital Assessment for Stroke Isn ’t Perfect

Prehospital assessment tools for neurological deficits aren’t perfect An approximately 30-year-old male answers the door to let you and your partner into the house you’ve been called to. Hank introduces himself and thanks you for coming, quickly adding that he’s concerned about his mother who’s “acting weird.” Hank tells you he stopped by his mom’s house for lunch and found her using paper plates to heat food on the stove. He stopped her before the plate ignited. His mother seemed confused and so he called 9-1-1. Patient Assessment Margaret, Hank’s 53-year-old mother, appears to be in good health. She’s awake and her eyes track your approach. She greets you by saying “Hello” and after you ask how’s she’s feeling, she tells you, “I’m fine, just a little confused.” Margaret denies having a medical history and says she doesn’t think she’s taking any medication. Hank interjects, telling you his mother has hypothyroidism and that she takes Synthroid (levothyroxine) to manage her condition. When you ask Margaret what she was doing in the kitchen, she tells you she was cooking a grilled cheese sandwich in the skillet to have for lunch with her son. Your physical exam finds the patient’s pulse is 80, blood pressure is 138/88 mmHg, and her respirations of 16 are uncompromised with a pulse oximeter reading of 98% on room air. Margaret denies any complaint including headache, shortness of breath, chest pain or dizziness. Her ...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Care Cardiac & Resuscitation Columns Source Type: news