Beth - Week 2 - Exam 1 Flashcards
what is important to consider for a pupil assessment?
“did the patient receive any meds that would alter pupils?”
what do pinpoint pupils indicate?
PONS damage or drugs
what do midpoint pupils (progressive dilation) indicate?
Intracranial Pressure
what do dilated (ipsilateral) pupils indicate?
Hematoma or CN 3 damage
what do bilateral dilated pupils indicate?
large hematoma/herniation (ominous sign)
T/F: new research proves MD and RN cannot accurately assess pupil size.
TRUTH
what is a pupillometer?
a handheld pupillary meaurement device to accurately assess changes in pupil size and reaction by taking 30 pics per second to obtain correct data.
what is the glasgow coma scale?
an objective tool to measure LOC and Id the severity of neurological injury for a pt with altered alertness.
what are the glasgow coma scores?
scored from 3-15
- 3 being the worst
- 15 being the best
what 3 characteristics are the GCS based on?
- eye
- motor
- verbal
what is the scoring for eye opening?
4 - spontaneous
3 - to speech
2 - to pain
1 - none
what is the scoring for motor response?
6 - obeys 5 - localizes 4 - withdraws 3 - abnormal flexion (reflex to pain) 2 - abnormal extension (reflex to pain) 1 - none
what is the scoring for verbal response?
5 - oriented conversation 4 - confused conversation 3 - inappropriate words 2 - incomprehensible sounds 1 - none
what should we be aware of when it comes to GCS?
be aware of sensory losses and deficits
how do you elicit a pain response?
always start with the least noxious irritation or pressure
what are the classifications of painful stimuli?
- central - response from brain
* peripheral - reflex response via the spine
what are acceptable pain stimuli?
- pressure to the supraorbital area (finger to eyebrow - central)
- trapezius pinch (shoulder - central)
- sternal rub (central)
- nail bed pressure (peripheral)
what is deemed as unacceptable pain stimulus?
pinching nipples or inner legs
what are the 3 causes of unconscious patients?
brain disorder, metabolic disorder, and functional/psychiatric
what are the two brain disorders?
supra tentorial
infra tentorial
what are the 6 causes of metabolic disorder?
electrolyte imbalance hypercalcemia acidosis uremia liver disease ETOH or drugs
what are two examples of functional/psychiatric?
fainting and hysteria
pathophys of CSF: what produces CSF?
the ventricles produce it
pathophys of CSF: what absorbs CSF?
the arachnoid villi absorbs it, leaving 150 cc in the brain and spinal cord
T/F: CSF goes down spine and circulates through 4 ventricles and body produces appropriate amt of CSF everyday.
TRUE
what does normal CSF look like?
clear, colorless, minimal WBC, no RBC, 60-150 mmH20 pressure.
what does abnormal CSF look like?
↑ protein, ↓ glucose, cloudy, blood (subarchnoid hemorrhage) weird color, odor
what are the causes of increased/abnormal CSF?
- blood from trauma
- hemorrhagic stroke
- ruptured aneurysm
- tumor
- obstruction
- infection
what are the causes of elevated CSF?
- enlarged ventricles
- blood/tumor/organism enters spinal space
what are the 3 components of the munro-kellie theory?
- brain tissue
- intracranial blood volume
- CSF
- *all 3 maintain ICP**
what is the normal ICP pressure?
5 - 15 mmHg
- 60 - 150 mmH20 to maintain normalcy
what is the cerebral volume/contents?
- CSF 10%
- Intravascular blood 12%
- Brain tissue 78%
T/F: Cough ↑ ICP for an instant; more pressure → ↓ blood flow → unconscious
TRUE
T/F edema → shunt away blood (↓ O20 and ↓ CSF
T