Which component is part of the FAST-ED stroke scale?

Which component is part of the FAST-ED stroke scale?

• A. Facial Palsy
• B. Hearing loss
• C. Abdominal tenderness
• D. Chest pain

Answer: (A)

FAST-ED looks for signs that can be checked quickly in the field to identify a stroke, focusing on facial weakness, arm weakness, speech changes, plus eye deviation and neglect. Facial palsy fits right into the “face” component of FAST-ED; you can detect it by asking the person to smile and noticing if one side droops, which points toward a stroke. The other options—hearing loss, abdominal tenderness, chest pain—aren’t used in this stroke scale and don’t reliably indicate a stroke in prehospital assessment.

FAST-ED looks for signs that can be checked quickly in the field to identify a stroke, focusing on facial weakness, arm weakness, speech changes, plus eye deviation and neglect. Facial palsy fits right into the “face” component of FAST-ED; you can detect it by asking the person to smile and noticing if one side droops, which points toward a stroke. The other options—hearing loss, abdominal tenderness, chest pain—aren’t used in this stroke scale and don’t reliably indicate a stroke in prehospital assessment.