National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stroke Scale - Neuro Assessment
Is the organization required to use the NIH Stroke Scale to assess a stroke patient?
Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.
The National Institutes of Health Stroke Survey (NIHSS) is an appropriate assessment tool used to determine the neurological status of a stroke patient. The Joint Commission does require that a full NIHSS assessment be performed on all patient who receive tissue plasminogen activator(t-pa) but does not prescribe use of other neurological assessment scales or tools. Organizations need to determine which assessment tools will be utilized based on selected Clinical Practice Guidelines. The organization should also define the parameters for assessing and by whom the assessments will be conducted.
The National Institutes of Health Stroke Survey (NIHSS) is an appropriate assessment tool used to determine the neurological status of a stroke patient. The Joint Commission does require that a full NIHSS assessment be performed on all patient who receive tissue plasminogen activator(t-pa) but does not prescribe use of other neurological assessment scales or tools. Organizations need to determine which assessment tools will be utilized based on selected Clinical Practice Guidelines. The organization should also define the parameters for assessing and by whom the assessments will be conducted.
Manual:
Advanced DSC - Primary Stroke Center
Chapter:
Delivering or Facilitating Clinical Care DSDF
First published date: April 11, 2016
This Standards FAQ was first published on this date.
This page was last updated on October 27, 2021