What steps should a medical assistant take if a patient presents with signs of stroke in a non-emergency clinic setting?

• A. Recognize symptoms (FAST), initiate emergency protocol, call EMS immediately, monitor vital signs, keep patient comfortable, document onset time, and prepare for transport and hospital handoff.
• B. Call EMS only if symptoms worsen.
• C. Ignore symptom onset time and treat at home.
• D. Give aspirin and wait for ambulance without notifying anyone.

Answer: (A)

Recognizing and acting quickly on a suspected stroke is essential because every minute counts for brain tissue. In a non-emergency clinic, the priority is to identify possible stroke signs fast and trigger emergency care without delay. Use a FAST check to spot facial droop, arm weakness, and speech difficulties, and when these are present, initiate the clinic’s emergency protocol and call EMS immediately. Time becomes the guiding factor—document the exact onset time or the last time the patient was known to be well, because this information directly informs treatment options at the hospital.

While waiting for EMS, stabilize and monitor the patient’s airway, breathing, and circulation, keep them comfortable, and prevent further harm by avoiding food or drink and unnecessary medications. Prepare for rapid hospital handoff by gathering essential information: onset time, current medications, allergies, medical history, and a concise description of symptoms and any witnessed events. Notify the receiving facility so they can prepare for urgent evaluation and possible stroke-directed treatment.

Delaying transport to observe symptoms or attempting in-clinic treatment beyond supportive care is inappropriate. Administering aspirin before imaging or definitive assessment is not advised in this setting because it can complicate evaluation if hemorrhagic stroke is present.