AVC
Published 30 October 2026, 20:39
AVC — acidente vascular cerebral (stroke)
A stroke: a bleed in the brain or a blocked blood vessel. In Portuguese it appears as AVC in all discharge letters, referrals and sick notes. The signs that mean every minute counts: sudden weakness in an arm or a leg on one side, a drooping face, slurred or lost speech, a sudden loss of balance.
Where you come across it. A discharge letter from A&E, a referral to a neurologist, a conversation with a doctor, a sick note.
If you see these signs, call 112 rather than making your own way to hospital: the INEM control room handles such calls under a special procedure (via verde AVC), and a patient brought in by ambulance is seen at once, not in the general queue.
Official website: sns24.gov.pt