patients and their family members should be counseled to call emergency medical services immediately if they experience or witness the sudden onset of any of the following: loss of sensory and/or motor function
on one side of the body (nearly 85% of ischemic stroke patients have hemiparesis); change in vision, gait, or ability to speak or understand; or a sudden, severe headache. The acronym FAST (Facial weakness, Arm weakness, Speech abnormality, and Time) is simple and helpful to teach the lay public about the common physical symptoms of stroke and to underscore that treatments are highly time-sensitive