History taking

The initial assessment of the code stroke involves identifying whether the clinical presentation is compatible with an acute stroke diagnosis, or a stroke mimic. The first two chapters of this book will provide you with the tools to answer these questions. Like a good detective, you need to gather the important clues, ignore distractions and red herrings, and eliminate the other suspects—all in a timely manner. This chapter will provide you with a stepwise approach to: ❏. Taking an appropriate and focused history by gathering relevant clinical information from multiple sources. ❏. Identifying the common symptoms associated with (and not associated with) acute stroke.