A patient with right-sided weakness that started 90 minutes earlier is admitted to the emergency department and all these diagnostic tests are ordered. Which test should be done first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rapid screening with a noncontrast CT scan is needed before administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which must be given within 4.5 hours of the onset of clinical manifestations of the stroke. The sooner the tPA is given, the smaller the area of brain injury. The other diagnostic tests give information about possible causes of the stroke and do not need to be completed as urgently as the CT scan.

A Patient with Right-Sided Weakness That Started 90 Minutes Earlier