Symptoms revealed during the emergency call, from the call taker and the nurse
| Total % (n 179) | CI (%) | Dispatch code ‘Stroke’ % (n 114) | CI (%) | Other dispatch code % (n 65) | CI (%) | Fischer’s exact test p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facial weakness, FAST | 16 (29) | 11 to 22 | 25 (28) | 17 to 32 | 2 (1) | 2 to 4 | <0.001 |
| Arm weakness, FAST | 15 (27) | 10 to 20 | 21 (24) | 14 to 28 | 5 (3) | 1 to 10 | 0.002 |
| Speech disturbance, FAST | 54 (97) | 47 to 62 | 68 (77) | 59 to 76 | 31 (20) | 20 to 42 | <0.001 |
| Leg weakness/trouble walking | 20 (35) | 14 to 25 | 24 (27) | 16 to 32 | 12 (8) | 4 to 20 | NS |
| Unilateral symptoms | 16 (29) | 11 to 22 | 23 (26) | 15 to 30 | 5 (3) | 1 to 10 | 0.001 |
| Numbness/sensory loss | 9 (16) | 5 to 13 | 13 (15) | 7 to 19 | 2 (1) | 0 to 4 | 0.012 |
| Hand weakness | 7 (12) | 3 to 10 | 10 (11) | 4 to 15 | 2 (1) | 0 to 4 | NS |
| Impaired vision | 3 (5) | 0 to 5 | 2 (2) | 0 to 4 | 5 (3) | 0 to 10 | NS |
| Unsteadiness/poor balance | 6 (11) | 3 to 10 | 8 (9) | 3 to 13 | 3 (2) | 0 to 7 | NS |
| Dizziness | 8 (14) | 4 to 12 | 9 (10) | 4 to 14 | 6 (4) | 0 to 12 | NS |
| Nausea/vomiting | 8 (14) | 4 to 12 | 8 (9) | 3 to 13 | 8 (5) | 1 to 14 | NS |
| Headache | 9 (16) | 5 to 13 | 10 (11) | 4 to 15 | 8 (5) | 1 to 14 | NS |
| Altered mental status | 27 (49) | 21 to 34 | 29 (33) | 21 to 37 | 25 (16) | 14 to 35 | NS |
| Fall/lying position | 38 (68) | 31 to 45 | 22 (25) | 14 to 30 | 66 (43) | 55 to 78 | <0.001 |
The symptoms are divided between the calls with dispatch code ‘Stroke’ and the calls with dispatch codes other than stroke. NS, non-significant.