Assessment Tool: Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS)
Assess all three items and record findings. Any single abnormal finding should trigger immediate stroke alert. Document the time of assessment and last known well.
Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS)
A rapid three-item screen for identifying acute stroke. Any abnormal finding has a sensitivity of 66% and specificity of 87% for stroke. All three abnormal findings increases specificity to 97%.
Clinical note: Any single abnormal finding warrants immediate stroke alert. Do not delay
CT imaging or thrombolytic time-window assessment to complete the full screen.
Screening Result
A positive CPSS should trigger immediate stroke team activation, CT without contrast, and assessment for thrombolytic eligibility. Onset time must be documented accurately.