Caring for a patient who has suffered a cerebrovascular accident.

Warning Signs • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause Any of these symptoms may be temporary, lasting only a few minutes, and possibly due to a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a reversible episode of focal neurological dysfunction that typically lasts a few minutes to a few hours. TIAs are extremely important predictors of stroke and should be considered a medical emergency.