Which statement best identifies a red flag for stroke that requires urgent action?

• A. Gradual onset dizziness with normal strength.
• B. Sudden onset facial droop, arm weakness, and speech difficulty; a FAST sign.
• C. Sudden onset of facial droop and leg paralysis without speech issues.
• D. Intermittent abdominal pain.

Answer: (C)

Sudden, focal neurological deficits are red flags for stroke and require urgent action. The statement describing a sudden facial droop with leg paralysis, even when there is no speech difficulty, points to abrupt brain or blood vessel involvement affecting multiple motor areas. This rapid, multi-region weakness is a strong signal of a cerebrovascular event, so it’s essential to seek urgent medical care immediately.

Speech problems can accompany stroke, as in signs where facial droop, arm weakness, and speech difficulty occur together. But the absence of speech issues does not rule out a stroke—there are strokes that present mainly with motor weakness in the face and a limb. The key is the sudden onset of neurological symptoms that indicates a brain event requiring time-critical management. The other options either describe symptoms not typically linked to stroke (intermittent abdominal pain) or a gradual onset symptom set, which are less alarming as immediate stroke red flags.