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What is the NIHSS Stroke Scale? - Oren Zarif - Nih Stroke Scale


The NIHSS is an assessment tool that measures clinical deficits in patients who have suffered a stroke. Developed in 1995, it was widely adopted as the de facto standard for stroke clinical trials. The original NIHSS had several features. It was short enough to encourage widespread use, yet long enough to assess all aspects of a patient's neurological condition. In addition, the scale needed to capture complex concepts familiar to neurologists and non-neurologists alike.

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The NIHSS is a multidimensional tool that helps healthcare providers and neurologists assess and communicate a patient's condition. It has five distinct components, each representing a specific symptom. The first column represents the NIHSS item. Each subscale is scored based on its sensitivity and specificity. The NIHSS is often used in conjunction with a post-stroke checklist to evaluate a patient's recovery.

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NIHSS scores are significantly correlated with patient outcomes. High scores in the NIHSS correlate with poor prognosis. An aNIHSS score above 10 portends poor long-term outcomes, with less than 20% of patients achieving excellent outcomes. However, patients with scores from seven to 10 were more likely to have a good outcome, while those with a score above 15 had a poor prognosis.

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In one study, Adams et al. evaluated 1,268 acute stroke patients. They collected NIHSS scores at baseline, seven-day follow-up, and at three months. At three months, a score of over 16 predicted a high probability of death. Further, a score of at least six indicates a good recovery. For every one point that the NIHSS score rises, the odds decrease by 17 percent. Moreover, the NIHSS score significantly predicts a patient's course of action.

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The NIHSS scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores being associated with greater severity. Its development came from the opinions of a panel of experts who used a modified Delphi process to develop its recommendations. Originally, it was used to compare the effectiveness of different clinical trial interventions. However, its usefulness has expanded beyond clinical trials. It is now widely used for initial assessments and post-acute care planning.

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NIHSS scores are an important tool in assessing stroke severity. NIHSS scores are accurate and tend to predict damage well. However, some patients may not understand how the NIHSS works. This is understandable given that family members and friends of patients may be confused about the NIHSS. The NIHSS is a widely accepted and accurate tool for stroke diagnosis. This is good news for patients and the medical community, as it is designed to help healthcare professionals better understand the condition and determine the best course of treatment.

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The NIHSS score provides an objective assessment of the severity of neurologic deficits after a stroke. Developed initially for research purposes, it has become widely used in clinical practice. Besides, it provides a common language between healthcare professionals. With fifteen items to rate, the NIHSS assesses cognitive abilities, motor strength, sensory impairment, and consciousness. The NIHSS can also be used to identify high-risk patients for reperfusion therapies.

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The NIH stroke scale comprises eleven elements that are scored based on the severity of the patient's cognitive impairment. Each element is scored on a scale between 0 and 4 (with some elements having a scale from 0 to 2), where the higher the score, the greater the impairment. The first element, the level of consciousness, contains three sub-elements that measure alertness, responsiveness, and ability to follow simple commands.

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The NIHSS score is also an important predictor of neurologic recovery. According to a study conducted by Albers, Bates, Clark, Bell, Verro, and Hamilton (2000), patients with lower baseline NIHSS scores had higher odds of recovery than those with high baseline scores. The study also found that a higher score reduced the odds of recovery by 22% or 75%, respectively. The study showed that a lower NIHSS score predicts good clinical outcome, which has implications for the treatment of stroke.

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