Capture last known well, check stroke-triage findings, treat reversible problems, and coordinate destination.
OCEMS source summary · Updated 2026-09-16
Protect the airway & preserve the history
No oral food or fluid; the source specifically permits dissolving ondansetron.
Avoid IO/external-jugular access in a potential stroke-neurology destination patient because thrombolysis may create difficult-to-control bleeding. The source’s narrow IO dextrose exception is stated below.
Check the ischemic-stroke pathway
All three: usual neurologic baseline within the past 24 hours; appropriate response to voice/visual cues or spontaneous eye opening; and new one-sided arm drift/paralysis, facial droop, or unequal grip.
Check for possible intracranial bleeding
Sudden, severe headache within 24 hours plus repeated vomiting, neurologic deficit, altered mental status, or diastolic BP above 100.
If altered mental status prevents obtaining a history: unexplained repeated vomiting, neurologic deficit, diastolic BP above 100, or paramedic judgment of acute bleeding may meet criteria.
Immediate checks & routing
Record last known well. Obtain a witness phone number when possible.
Contact base for patients meeting stroke-triage criteria and prepare for stroke-team activation.
Monitor rhythm and document a strip. If room-air SpO₂ is below 95%, give high-flow oxygen by mask or nasal cannula at 6 L/min as tolerated.
Avoid oral food or fluids; the source permits dissolving ondansetron.
If criteria are not met, provide ALS transport to the nearest emergency receiving center.
Glucose & nausea treatment
Check blood glucose. SO-M-025 uses a value below 60 mg/dL: D10 250 mL IV, or glucagon 1 mg IM if IV access cannot be obtained.
The IO dextrose exception is limited to an unconscious patient with glucose below 60, no IV access, and no response to IM glucagon.
For nausea/vomiting when pregnancy is neither known nor suspected: ondansetron 8 mg ODT or 4 mg IV. The IV dose may be repeated after about 3 minutes if symptoms persist.
Handoff essentials
Document when the patient was last at their usual neurologic baseline, not just when the deficit was discovered. Obtain a witness callback number when possible.
Report the observed deficit, glucose and response to treatment, level of consciousness, headache/vomiting findings, and BP. Coordinate the stroke destination through base.