Cerebrovascular Accidents Flashcards
Define stroke
- a disease that affects arteries leading to/within the brain
- stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, leading to brain cell death
What is the most common and most important risk factor for strokes
hypertension
Describe FAST
facial drooping
arm weakness
speech difficulty
time to call 911
What are the hallmark signs of a stroke
sudden…
- numbness/weakness of face, arm, leg, especially on one side of the body
- confusion, trouble speaking/understanding
- trouble seeing in one/both eyes
- trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance/coordination
- severe headache
What are the 3 types of CVAs
ischemic (thrombotic or embolic), transient, hemorrhagic
What is first line imaging for CVA
CT without contrast
What are the 5 Ds of vertebral/basilar system symptoms
Dizziness
Diplopia
Dysarthria
Dysphagia
Dysmetria
Describe the characteristics of a large vessel ischemic stroke
- basilar artery, middle cerebral artery, circle of willis
- produces immediate, obvious, severe deficits
Describe the characteristics of a small vessel ischemic stroke (Lacunar infarcts)
- small intracerebral vessels that arise from larger arteries
- deficits may be minor or go unnoticed
- can be found accidentally during head CT/MRI
What are the 2 classes of ischemic stroke
Focal and non-focal
Describe focal ischemic strokes
- specific neurologic deficit
- often unilateral or affecting a specific cranial nerve
- due to thrombosis, embolism, or intracranial hemorrhage
Describe non-focal ischemic stroke
- results in encephalopathy
- deficits often bilateral and non-specific
- due to hypoperfusion/hypoxia
- seen after cardiac/respiratory arrest or drowning
Define thrombotic stroke
blood clot produced within a vein or artery local to the brain and disrupts flow of blood
Define embolic stroke
whole or portion of clot separates from where it formed and travels as an obstruction to different part of circulatory system
The most common cause of embolic stroke is ____ _____
Atrial fibrillation