22nd August 2024

Following a suspected anterior cerebral artery stroke, a 73-year-old woman is admitted to the hyper acute stroke unit

Following a suspected anterior cerebral artery stroke, a 73-year-old woman is admitted to the hyper acute stroke unit overnight. She woke up with symptoms in the morning but presented late, as initially thought they would resolve. On examination, she is alert. There is left-sided weakness more pronounced in the leg than the arm with some numbness and incoordination of movements of the leg. There is no dysarthria or dysphasia. After you have seen her, she asks for a biscuit and a glass of water as she says she hasn’t eaten since dinner before she came to the hospital. You haven’t completed your swallow screening training but have seen this being done numerous times. What would be the most appropriate next action?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.