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FAST-VAN

Stroke screening with large vessel occlusion (LVO) assessment

Last updated: 2026-04-12

Overview

FAST-VAN is a two-phase stroke assessment tool. FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) screens for stroke.

If positive, VAN (Vision, Aphasia, Neglect) screens for large vessel occlusion (LVO).

FAST-VAN Stroke Assessment

Facial droop?

Ask the patient to smile. Look for asymmetry or drooping on one side.

Arm drift or weakness?

Ask the patient to close their eyes and hold both arms out for 10 seconds, palms up. Watch for drift.

If the patient is unable to raise or hold their arms, assess for weakness by asking them to squeeze your fingers or lift against resistance.

Speech abnormal?

Ask the patient to repeat a simple phrase. Listen for slurring or word-finding difficulty.

Patients may also fall back to a different language than expected.

Last seen normal < 6 hours ago or woke up with symptoms?

Determine when the patient was last known to be at their baseline, or if symptoms were present on waking.