neurology emergency
Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS) for Stroke Severity
Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS). Prehospital and emergency department tool for rapid assessment of stroke severity and identification of Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO). Three components: facial droop, arm drift, and grip strength. Score 0-5; score above 3 predicts LVO with sensitivity 81% and specificity 89%. Used to guide activation of comprehensive stroke centres with thrombectomy capability. Developed by Llanes et al. 2004.
References
- Llanes JN et al. The Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS): a new measure to characterize stroke severity in the field. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2004;8(1):46-50.
- Zhao W et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of prehospital stroke scales in identifying large vessel occlusion stroke. Stroke. 2021;52(12):e819-e828.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
Drugs
- Aspirin (Loading Dose) · Antiplatelet — ACS / Ischaemic Stroke
- Alteplase (tPA) · Thrombolytic — Ischaemic Stroke / Massive PE
- Edoxaban (AF Stroke Prevention / VTE) · Direct Factor Xa Inhibitor (DOAC)
- Clopidogrel (Stroke/TIA Secondary Prevention) · Antiplatelet (P2Y12 Inhibitor)
- Riluzole · Neuroprotective Agent — ALS/Motor Neurone Disease
- Dabigatran (Stroke Prevention — AF) · Direct Oral Anticoagulant — Thrombin Inhibitor
Pathways
- Acute Stroke / TIA Assessment · NICE NG128; RCP Stroke Guidelines 2023
- Status Epilepticus (Adults) · NICE CG137; ESEM guidelines; RCP Neurology Guidelines
- Suspected Subarachnoid Haemorrhage · NICE NG228; RCEM 2023; AHA/ASA 2023
- Adult Head Injury · NICE NG232 (2023)
- Bell's Palsy / Facial Nerve Palsy · ENT UK 2017; AAN
- Vertigo Workup · ENT UK; NICE CKS
Decision support only — verify against MDCalc, NICE, or your local guideline before clinical use.