Ch 17 Neurologic Emergencies Flashcards
Altered mental status
Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, event; deviation from a patient’s normal
Aneurysm
Swelling or enlargement of the wall of a blood vessel that results from weakening of the vessel wall
Aphasia
Inability to understand and/or produce speech
Atherosclerosis
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
Aura
Sensation experiences before a seizure, serves as a warning sign
CVA
Cerebrovascular accident/stroke; interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function
Coma
State of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused
Delerium
Temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions or a decreased LOC
Dysarthria
Slurred speech
Embolus
Blood blot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel causing a blockage
Epilepsy
Disorder of abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, causing seizure and possible loss of consciousness
Febrile seizures
Seizures that result from sudden high fevers, most often seen in children
Generalized (tonic-clonic) seizures
Seizure characterized by severe twitching of all of the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formally grand mal seizures
Hemiparesis
Weakness on one side of the body
Hemorrhagic stroke
Stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain
Hypoglycemia
Abnormally low blood glucose level
Incontinence
Loss of bowel or bladder control; may be the result of generalized seizure
Ischemia
Lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permanent injury has not yet occurred
Ischemic stroke
Stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage (blood clot) inside a blood vessel
Partial (focal) seizure
Seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain
Postictal state
Period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 30 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered LOC
Seizure
Neuralgic episode episode caused by 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
Status epilepticus
Conditions where seizures recur every few minutes or lasts longer than 30 minutes
Syncope
Fainting spell or transient loss of consciousness
Thrombosis
Blood clot (arterial or venous) When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, it may result in interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke
TIA
Transient ischemic attack; Disorder of the brain where brain cells temporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing stroke-like symptoms that resolve completely within 24 hours of onset
The brain is sensitive to changes in:
Temperature, glucose, oxygen
The three major parts of the brain are the:
Cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem
Which of the following symptoms would lead the EMT to believe that a patient’s headache is caused by sinus congestion?
The pain is worse when bending over
Interruption of cerebral blood flow may result from all of the following, EXCEPT: a thrombus an embolism cerebral vasodilation an acute arterial rupture
cerebral vasodilation
The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:
Hypertension
Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to mimic the signs and symptoms of a stroke? Intercranial bleeding Hypovolemia Hypoglycemia Postictal state
Hypovolemia
Which of the following MOST accurately describes a simple partial seizure?
A seizure that causes the patient to stare blankly
A seizure that begins in one extremity
A seizure that is not preceded by an aura
A generalized seizure without incontinence
A seizure that begins in one extremity
Which of the following MOST accurately describes what the patient will experience during the postictal state that follows a seizure?
Hyperventilation and hypersalivation
A gradually decreasing level of consciousness
A rapidly improving level of consciousness
Confusion and fatigue
Confusion and fatigue
You respond to a residence for a child who is having a seizure. Upon arrival at the scene, you enter the residence and find the mother holding her child, a 2-year-old male. The child is conscious and crying. According to the mother, the child had been running a high fever and then experienced a seizure that lasted approximately 3 minutes. You should:
Transport the child to the hospital and reassure the mother en route
Headache red flags
Sudden onset symptoms Explosive/thunderclap pain Altered mental status Age >50 Depressed immune system (high risk of infection) Neurologic deficits Neck stiffness/pain Fever Changes in vision One-sided paralysis or weakness
Tension headaches
Caused by muscle contractions in head or neck and attributed to stress
Squeezing, dull, ache
Migraine headaches
Caused by changes in blood vessel size at the base of the brain, common in women, and usually have a history
Nausea, vomiting, visual warning signs
Sinus headaches
Caused by pressure as a result of fluid accumulation in the sinus cavities
Cold-like symptoms, increased pain when bending over or moving head
An incident with multiple patients reporting a headache may indicate
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Bacterial meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges cause by bacterial infection
