Patent foramen ovale

Patients should be instructed on recognition of:

• Symptoms and signs of peripheral arterial embolism (i.e., sudden onset of pain, pallor and loss of function in an extremity)

• Symptoms and signs of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (i.e., sudden onset of weakness in one part of the body and sudden visual or speech disturbance)

• Symptoms and signs of deep venous thrombosis.

The importance of urgent CVA treatment should be stressed, as early treatment can result in significant reduction of neurological damage and improved long-term outlook.