What is a Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) and what should be done if someone has one?

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Multiple Choice

What is a Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) and what should be done if someone has one?

A cerebrovascular accident is a stroke—an abrupt disruption of blood flow to a part of the brain that causes sudden neurological symptoms. The reason the best action is to call emergency services right away is that every minute counts in a stroke. Quick medical evaluation can determine if it’s ischemic or hemorrhagic and start treatments that can reduce brain damage and improve outcomes, often before arrival at the hospital. Keep the person safe, monitor their breathing, and avoid giving anything by mouth until medical professionals advise otherwise. The other scenarios describe different problems (migraine, seizure, or heart attack) and each has a different immediate response. But for a suspected stroke, the priority is urgent emergency care, hence calling 911.

A cerebrovascular accident is a stroke—an abrupt disruption of blood flow to a part of the brain that causes sudden neurological symptoms. The reason the best action is to call emergency services right away is that every minute counts in a stroke. Quick medical evaluation can determine if it’s ischemic or hemorrhagic and start treatments that can reduce brain damage and improve outcomes, often before arrival at the hospital.

Keep the person safe, monitor their breathing, and avoid giving anything by mouth until medical professionals advise otherwise.

The other scenarios describe different problems (migraine, seizure, or heart attack) and each has a different immediate response. But for a suspected stroke, the priority is urgent emergency care, hence calling 911.

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