FAST- Test:
1. Face (drooping eyelids, asymmetry, facial paresis [Leo 2022]):
2. A Arm (affected arm cannot be held up).
3. S Speech (aphasia, dysarthria)
4. T Time (onset of symptomatology) (Leo 2022).
There is also the extended FAST test, the so-called BE-FAST test. This includes the following additional tests:
5. B Balance (balance, gait insecurity, foot lift weakness)
6. E Eyes (double vision, blurring, visual disturbances)
(Saver 2021)
Positive FAST- Test:
At least 1 criterion must be true for the test to be considered positive (Herold 2022).
If the FAST test is positive, the patient should be transferred to a stroke unit immediately (Herold 2022).
Negative FAST- Test:
If the short test is negative, at least 4 other factors should be checked:
- Gaze paresis:
Check eye movement to the right and left.
- Visual disturbance:
Visual fields of right and left eyes should be checked separately.
- Leg paresis:
In recumbency, an attempt to hold both legs forward should be made with eyes closed.
- Hemihypesthesia:
Touch sensation should be checked separately on each side on the face, arms and legs (Herold 2022).
In addition to the FAST test, 2 other tests are also used, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon world:
- Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS)
- Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke Screen (LAPSS)
(Saver 2021)