ToolsCalculators
FACE DROPS stroke recognition
Checklist of acute stroke warning signs.
FACE DROPS stroke recognition
Facial droop or asymmetry
Arm or leg weakness / drift
Slurred speech or difficulty speaking/understanding
Sudden visual loss or double vision
Sudden loss of balance or coordination
Sudden numbness of face, arm or leg
Sudden severe headache with no known cause
ResultNo warning signs endorsed
None of the listed sudden-onset warning signs are present.
When to use
- Rapid bedside or prehospital recognition of possible acute stroke.
Formula
Any single sudden-onset warning sign (facial droop, limb weakness, speech disturbance, visual loss, coordination loss, numbness, or thunderclap headache) triggers activation of the stroke pathway.
Pearls and pitfalls
- It is a recognition mnemonic, not a validated probability score — err toward activation and record the time last known well.