John, one of Maya’s employees, finds Maya in a chair unable to speak. John (who is trained in CPR and first aid) also notices that the right side of Maya’s face is drooping. He makes a mental note of the time, calls 911 and asks for an ambulance to come to the hotel ballroom immediately. Maya cannot hear the sirens, but when the EMTs arrive, she understands they are there for her. The EMTs quickly evaluate Maya (determining a neurologic baseline and checking her airway, breathing, circulation, glucose, pulse oximetry and heart rhythm) and put her on a gurney for transportation to Hitech Medical Center. Maya wants to protest—to say she has so much work to do—but the words that come out do not make any sense. She doesn’t understand what is happening or why she can’t move her right arm or leg.

Maya arrives in the emergency department (ED) of Hitech Medical Center. The clerk pulls up her electronic health record (EHR) and the triage nurse begins her assessment. Maya is unable to update or verify any of her medical information because of her current condition. The nurse calls for the ED physician, confers with him on Maya’s health status and the healthcare team springs into action.

1. Internet Research: Maya’s employee, John, thinks she is having a stroke and uses the acronym F.A.S.T. to analyze Maya’s current status. What does each letter represent and what is the related description?



2. Internet Research: After reviewing Maya’s signs and symptoms (from her story), the triage nurse places Maya as a high priority patient. Why?



3. Internet Research: What does the term atherosclerosis have to do with Maya?



4. Review the Video: Record three facts you learned from the video.