Question

You were triaging a patient with a sprained ankle and you suddenly notice that the patient has slurred speech. Upon further exam you note facial dropping and left-sided weakness. Blood sugar is 4.8 mmol/L. BP: 200/120, HR 68 and RR 18. What triage level would you assign to this patient? a. Emergent

b. Urgent
c. Non-urgent
d. Stable

Answer 1

A patient exhibiting symptoms of a stroke with slurred speech, facial drooping, and left-sided weakness, alongside a high blood pressure reading, should be assigned an emergent triage level, indicating immediate medical attention is necessary.

Step-by-step explanation:

When triaging a patient with a sprained ankle who suddenly develops slurred speech, facial drooping, and left-sided weakness, with blood sugar levels that are normal, but elevated blood pressure (200/120), the appropriate triage level would be emergent. These symptoms suggest a possible stroke which requires immediate medical attention to optimize the patient's outcome. The blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and respiratory rate (RR) help in assessing the patient's condition but the neurologic symptoms take precedence in determining the level of urgency.