Ischemic strokes in younger adults, those 18 to 50 years old, account for approximately 10% to 15% of all ischemic strokes. Risk factors for stroke between younger and older patients tend to be similar.

Younger patients suffer from cardioembolic or embolic strokes of undetermined significance, while older adults, greater than 50 years, tend to have a higher frequency of ischemic stroke due to large vessel atherosclerosis or lacunar infarction.

Risk factors for cardioembolic stroke include atrial fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction, and patent foramen ovale.

Atrial fibrillation can lead to tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy, which if left untreated may progress to acute decompensated heart failure.

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) can be a useful diagnostic tool in assessing and estimating cardiac function in real time.

There are both qualitative and quantitative assessments that can be made when evaluating for reduced ejection fraction with POCUS.

The qualitative hallmark findings include decreased left ventricular excursion during systole and reduced migration of the anterior mitral valve leaflet during diastole.

The distance between the anterior mitral valve leaflet during diastole and the interventricular septum, known as the E-Point Septal Separation, can be used to estimate ejection fraction (EF).

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