Which of the following is NOT an assessment parameter included in the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale?

Which of the following is NOT an assessment parameter included in the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale?

• A. Memory.
• B. Facial droop.
• C. Arm drift.
• D. Speech.

Answer: (A)

The Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale is a quick field check that looks for three observable signs of a possible stroke: facial droop, arm drift, and speech abnormalities. Memory testing isn’t part of this scale because these three items directly reflect acute focal deficits from a stroke and can be assessed rapidly in an emergency setting. Facial droop indicates facial motor weakness, arm drift reveals unilateral arm weakness, and speech abnormalities point to language or communication impact; together they quickly signal a potential stroke. Memory, while important in many medical assessments, isn’t a reliable or timely indicator for stroke detection in the prehospital environment, which is why it isn’t included. So the item that isn’t part of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale is memory.

The Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale is a quick field check that looks for three observable signs of a possible stroke: facial droop, arm drift, and speech abnormalities. Memory testing isn’t part of this scale because these three items directly reflect acute focal deficits from a stroke and can be assessed rapidly in an emergency setting. Facial droop indicates facial motor weakness, arm drift reveals unilateral arm weakness, and speech abnormalities point to language or communication impact; together they quickly signal a potential stroke. Memory, while important in many medical assessments, isn’t a reliable or timely indicator for stroke detection in the prehospital environment, which is why it isn’t included. So the item that isn’t part of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale is memory.