[Diagnosis and first aid in stroke during the prehospital phase]

In the GDR the apoplexy occupies the 4th place in the statistics of causes of death. It is an acute pathological process and has a firm place in emergency medicine (urgent home visit service and urgent medical aid). The symptomatology is multiform and under ambulatory conditions it may lead to considerable differential-diagnostic difficulties. In the present paper references are given taking into consideration the anamnesis (factors of risk), the clinical examination of the patient, first differential-diagnostic aspects, therapeutic methods resulting from this and suitable possibilities of hospitalisation.