17. Neurologic Emergencies Flashcards
Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status.
altered mental status
A swelling or enlargement of the wall of a blood vessel that results from a weakening of the vessel wall.
aneurysm
The inability to understand and/or produce speech.
aphasia
A disorder in which calcium and cholesterol build up inside the walls of the blood vessels, forming plaque, potentially leading to a partial or complete blockage of blood flow.
atherosclerosis
A sensation experienced before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur.
aura
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function;
also called a stroke.
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused.
coma
A temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness.
delirium
Slurred speech
dysarthria
A blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel where it causes a blockage.
embolus
A disorder in which abnormal electrical discharges occur in the brain, causing seizure and possible loss of consciousness.
epilepsy
Seizures that result from the sudden high fevers; most often seen in children.
febrile seizures
A seizure characterized by severe twitching of all of the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; known as grand mal seizure.
generalized (tonic-clonic) seizures
weakness on one side of the body.
hemiparesis
A type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain.
hemorrhagic stroke
Abnormally low blood glucose levels.
hypoglycemia
Loss of bowel and/or bladder control; may be a result of generalized seizure.
incontinence
A lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial to complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible
ischemia
A type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by blockage inside a blood vessel.
ischemic stroke
A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain.
partial (focal) seizure
The period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 50 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered mental status.
postictal state
A neurologic episode caused by a surge of electrical activity in the brain; can be a convulsion characterized by generalized, uncoordinated muscular activity, and can be associated with loss of consciousness.
seizure
A condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or lasts longer than 30 minutes.
status epilectus
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
stroke
A fainting spell
syncope
A blood clot, either in arterial or venous system. When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, it may result in the interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke.
thrombosis
A disorder of the brain in which brain cells temporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing stroke-like symptoms that resolve completely within 24 hours of onset.
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
