Cerebral Vascular Accident Flashcards
1
Q
Strokes
A
- One of the leading causes of death in the US
- Many CVAs are preventable with a healthy lifestyle
- The presentation of a CVA is different depending on the area of the brain that is affected by the stroke and the type of stroke the person experiences.
2
Q
What is a CVA?
A
- Sudden or gradual onset of neurological symptoms caused by a diminished supply of blood to the brain
- During this time, cells can die from decreased blood flow and the lack of oxygen.
- Also called a stroke
3
Q
Ischemic
A
- Occurs when blood that normally circulates to the brain fails.
- Brain cells die, due to the lack of blood supply to the area.
- 87% of strokes are ischemic
- Three types: Thrombosis, Embolic, Lacunar
4
Q
Thrombosis (Ishemic Stroke)
A
Clot in the brain
5
Q
Embolic (Ischemic Stroke)
A
Clot in the body that travel to the brain
6
Q
Hemorrhagic
A
- Occurs when a weakened blood vessel within the brain ruptures (Intracerebral hemorrhage) or bleeding occurs within the subarachnoid space (Subarachnoid hemorrhage).
- Head traumas
- Arteriovenous malformations –congenital
- Hypertension
7
Q
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
A
- “Mini Stroke”
- Blood flow is blocked for a short time, usually no more than 5 minutes
- Usually a warning sign of a future stroke
- More than a third of people who have a TIA end up having a major stroke within 1 year if they are not followed medically
- 10% -15% will have a major stroke within 3 months of a TIA.
8
Q
Risk Factors of CVA
A
- Hypertension
- African American and Hispanic (Sickle Cell)
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Obesity
- Family History
- Diabetes
- Previous stroke; 25% of people who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years
- Oral contraceptives
- Smoking
- Drug use ( esp. Cocaine)
- Age, over 65 (in 2009 34% people hospitalized for stroke were younger than 65)
- May be higher in women during pregnancy and 6 weeks follow childbirth
9
Q
Signs and Symptoms of a Stroke
A
- Numbness or weakness on one side of body
- Sudden onset of confusion
- Sudden onset of slurred speech, difficulty talking, or understanding speech
- Decreased balance in sitting or standing, loss of coordination
- Double vision
- Severe headache with no known cause; “WORST HEADACHE of MY LIFE”
10
Q
CVA Statistics
A
- 4th leading cause of death; 1 of every 19 deaths is from a stroke
- A leading cause of chronic long term disability in adults
- 800,000 people in the US have a stroke each year
- One American dies every 4 minutes
11
Q
CVA Signs and symptoms depend on:
A
- Which artery is occluded (six Major Cerebral Vessels)
- Size of occlusion
- Length of time before medical attention is available: TPA (tissue plasminogen activator); Dissolves the clot, increasing blood flow to the brain; 3–4.5 hour window of time to administer
- Age
- Pre-morbid health status
12
Q
Characteristics of RCVA
A
- Speed and time distortion
- Unrealistic
- Unilateral perception
- Neglect of involved side (L side)
- Emotionally Labile
- Poor body awareness
- Poor insight into impairment/ high safety concern
- L hemiplegia
- Short attention span
- Distractibility
- Difficulty retaining new information
- Loss of numerical concepts
- Inability to self correct
- Poor Judgment
- Lethargy
- Very Impulsive
- High verbal / low performance
13
Q
Characteristic of L CVA
A
- Aphasia (99.8% L hemisphere)
- Apraxia
14
Q
Aphasia (Characteristic of L CVA)
A
(99. 8% L hemisphere)
- Broca’s(Expressive)
- Wernicke’s (receptive)
- Processing delays
15
Q
Apraxia (Characteristic of L CVA)
A
- Difficulty with initiation, preplanning, and sequencing
- Bilateral perceptual problems
- Low verbal
- Inappropriate use of objects
- Perseveration
- Low frustration tolerance
- Need task broken down
- Difficulty with new learning
- Will perform better during a familiar task
- R hemiplegia
- May not be reliable with yes/no
