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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Cincinnati stroke scale

Introduction

Overview

Overview

The Cincinnati Stroke Scale is a scale used to diagnose the presence of a stroke in a patient. It tests three signs including facial droop, arm drift, and speech to find if patient is having a stroke and need more investigation. If any of the three tests shows abnormal findings, the patient may be having a stroke and should be transported to a hospital as soon as possible.

Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale

Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale

Calculation of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale

The Cincinnati Stroke Scale is a scale used to diagnose the presence of a stroke in a patient. It tests three signs including facial droop, arm drift, and speech to find if patient is having a stroke and need more investigation.[1]

Check all boxes that apply to your patient:

Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale
Sign Examination Result
Facial droop Have the person smile or show his or her teeth Normal: Both sides of the face move equally
Abnormal: One side of face does not move as well as the other (or at all)
Arm drift Have the person close his or her eyes and hold his or her arms straight out in front for about 10 seconds Normal: Both arms move equally or not at all
Abnormal: One arm does not move, or one arm drifts down compared with the other side
Speech Have the person say, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” or some other simple, familiar saying Normal: Patient uses correct words with no slurring
Abnormal: Slurred or inappropriate words or mute
Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale:
Interpretation:

Interpretation of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale

If any of the three tests shows abnormal findings, the patient may be having a stroke and should be transported to a hospital as soon as possible.

References

References

  1. ↑ Kothari RU, Pancioli A, Liu T, Brott T, Broderick J (April 1999). “Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale: reproducibility and validity”. Ann Emerg Med. 33 (4): 373–8. PMID 10092713.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sadaf Sharfaei M.D.[2]