Using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale

Clinical Trials Versus Clinical UseWhen using the NIHSS, it is critical to acknowledge that the scale was not designed to serve as a bedside rating tool for widespread use outside of research trials.6 Rather, the scale was designed to be used by investigators (MD, RN) in the setting of a clinical trial.15 The NIHSS design assumes that the Using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale