Stroke Assessment and Triage

Recognize acute stroke, score severity with the NIHSS, and reason through thrombolytic and thrombectomy eligibility under time pressure.

Practice this in the app More Neurology tracks

What this track covers

This track covers rapid stroke recognition, distinguishing ischemic from hemorrhagic presentations, and structured severity scoring. It builds decision-making around reperfusion therapy windows, TIA workup, and coordination with interventional teams.

What you will practice

Apply FAST and identify common stroke mimics
Score a patient using the NIH Stroke Scale
Differentiate ischemic vs hemorrhagic presentations and imaging clues
Work through thrombolytic inclusion and exclusion criteria
Calculate ABCD2 risk in a suspected TIA

Simulator scenario

A patient arrives with sudden-onset unilateral weakness and slurred speech, and the clinician must triage, score severity, and decide on next steps within the treatment window.

Board question topics

NIHSS scoring nuances
Thrombolytic eligibility criteria
TIA risk stratification with ABCD2
Thrombectomy patient selection

Ask the tutor

What are the current exclusion criteria for IV thrombolytics in acute ischemic stroke?Opens the tutor · answers cite their sources How do I score arm and leg drift correctly on the NIHSS?Opens the tutor · answers cite their sources What imaging findings distinguish hemorrhagic from ischemic stroke on initial CT?Opens the tutor · answers cite their sources

The tutor only answers from licensed sources (FDA prescribing information, public guidelines and our own material) and says when it has none. Educational use only, never patient-specific advice.

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