assessing consciousness

Question 1

What 3 things does an early level of consciousness allow?

Answer 1

Assessment of response to treatments
Early airway intervention
A prognostic opinion

Question 2

Altered conscious level, including confusion and aggression is often caused by?

Answer 2

Shock, hypercarbia, Hypoxia

Question 3

At which stage in A-E do you assess conscious levels?

Answer 3

Disability

Question 4

What does ACVPU stand for?

Answer 4

Alert
Confusion - new or changing
Voice
Pain
Unresponsive

Question 5

Which scale is used to determine deterioration in head injured patients and used worldwide to gauge the depth of coma?

Answer 5

GSC

Question 6

What does GCS stand for?

Answer 6

Glasgow coma scale

Question 7

What is the highest and lowest GCS scores?

Answer 7

3 - 15

Question 8

At which score or less is a patient likely to be unconscious, and a definite airway may be required?

Answer 8

GCS 8

Question 9

What classification is GCS 13 - 15?

Answer 9

Minor brain injury - normal

Question 10

What classification is GCS 9 - 12?

Answer 10

moderate brain injury

Question 11

What classification is GCS 3 - 8?

Answer 11

Severe brain injury?

Question 12

What 3 elements may a neurological emergency be categorised into?

Answer 12

Altered level of consciousness
Weakness
Headache

Question 13

what is a description of a seizure

Answer 13

Impaired conscious level with rhythmic limb shaking

Question 14

What does the acronym ACTION stand for in epileptic seizure treatment?

Answer 14

A- Assess (Is the patient in danger, could they injure themselves, can you move objects out of the way? - ABC; Attached monitoring if possible - Call for Help!)

C- Cushion (under therir head)

T - Time (How long does the seizure last?)

I - Identity (Do you have any information about the patient, could you ask someone to look at the patietns previous records - call the referring departmetn if an inpatient)

O- Over (Once the seizure seizes, place the patient onto their side, in the recovery position until help arrives)

N- Never (Restrain the person)

Question 15

What are common risk factors for seizures?

Answer 15

Addition of other new medications which may have intereated with metabolism of antiepileptics e.g. antibiotics
Alcohol consumption (Excessive or withdrawal)
Sleep Deprivation
Infection
Recent changes to antiepileptic drugs

Question 16

what does CVE stand for?

Answer 16

Cerebro-vascular events

Question 17

What are the categories of CVEs?

Answer 17

Ischaemic Strokes
Haemorrhagic Strokes
Subarachnoid Haemorrhage
Subdural Haemorrhage
Extradural Heamorrhage

Question 18

which other neurological disorders that can cause weakness?

Answer 18

Guillian-Barre Syndrome
Muyasthenia Gravis
Muscular neurone disease, dystrophy andmyositis
Spinal cord injuries

Question 19

What is weakness caused by?

Answer 19

neurological deficit