LAMS- Los Angeles Motor Scale

How LAMS is Scored

The scale ranges from 0 to 5 points based on three motor deficit categories evaluated during a physical check: [1, 2]

• Facial Droop
  • Absent = 0
  • Present (lower facial weakness) = +1 [1, 2]
• Arm Drift
  • Absent (holds up 10 seconds) = 0
  • Drifts down (does not hit bed/support within 10 sec) = +1
  • Falls rapidly (cannot hold up) = +2 [1, 2]
• Grip Strength
  • Normal = 0
  • Weak grip = +1
  • No grip (absent) = +2 [1, 2]

Clinical Utility and Triage

• Score of 0 to 3: Suggests a minor or moderate stroke with a lower probability of an acute large-vessel occlusion.
• Score of 4 or 5: Strongly predicts a large-vessel occlusion (LVO) with high sensitivity and specificity. Patients meeting this threshold are often triaged and transported directly to a thrombectomy-capable or comprehensive stroke center for advanced endovascular therapy (EVT). [1, 2, 3]

If you are looking for specific guidance, please let me know:

• Are you looking into this for EMS/prehospital training or a clinical case review?
• Do you need help calculating a specific patient scenario score?