Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Practice Test

What are three things to check if you suspect a stroke?

1. Leg reflexes, skin color, blood pressure

2. Pulse rate, respiratory rate, temperature

3. Speech, facial droop, arm drift

4. Eye movement, balance, hearing

The correct answer is: Speech, facial droop, arm drift

The correct choice focuses on the key signs that are specifically associated with a stroke. Assessing speech can reveal difficulty in articulation or abnormal language, which is a common indicator of a stroke affecting language centers in the brain. Checking for facial droop helps to identify unilateral weakness that can occur in one side of the face, often resulting from damage to specific areas of the brain. Evaluating arm drift involves asking the patient to hold both arms out in front of them; if one arm drifts downward or cannot be held up, this suggests weakness on that side, which can also indicate a stroke. In contrast to the correct option, other choices include factors that, while important for overall assessment, are not as directly relevant to stroke recognition. For instance, monitoring vital signs like pulse rate and respiratory rate can indicate the patient's overall condition but do not specifically point to stroke symptoms. Similarly, checking for leg reflexes and skin color may provide some insights into circulation or neurological status, yet they do not form the critical assessment criteria for stroke identification. Lastly, evaluating eye movement, balance, and hearing might uncover other neurological issues but are not typical components of the initial stroke assessment.