A husband calls about his wife experiencing left-sided weakness and facial droop. Her symptoms resolve before transport. What should you suspect?

The scenario presented suggests that the symptoms of left-sided weakness and facial droop experienced by the wife resolved before transport. This is characteristic of a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is often referred to as a "mini-stroke." A TIA usually produces similar symptoms to a stroke but lasts for a shorter duration—typically less than 24 hours—and often resolves completely in a matter of minutes to hours.

In the context of a TIA, the sudden onset of neurological deficits, such as weakness and facial droop, indicates a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, likely due to a clot blocking a blood vessel. The critical aspect here is that the symptoms resolve, which is a defining feature of a TIA as opposed to a full-blown stroke, where symptoms tend to persist.

Other options, such as a hemorrhagic stroke, embolic stroke, and thrombotic stroke, indicate more serious conditions where symptoms would likely not resolve on their own and would require immediate medical attention. A hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding in the brain and often presents with more severe symptoms. An embolic stroke occurs when a clot travels to the brain from another part of the body, likely causing lasting effects. A thrombotic stroke results from