Ch. 18 Neurologic Emergencies Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Altered mental status

A

Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Aneurysm

A

A swelling or enlargement of a part of an artery, resulting from weakening of the arteerial wall.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Aphasia

A

The inability to understand and/or produce speech.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Atherosclerosis

A

A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Aura

A

A sensation experienced before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Cerebrovascular accident

A

An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Coma

A

A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Delirium

A

A temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Dysarthria

A

Slurred speech.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Embolus

A

A blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel wheere it causes a blockage of blood flow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Epilepsy

A

A disorder in which abnormal electical dischafges occur in the brain, cuasing seizures and possible loss of consciousness.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Febrile seizures

A

Seizures that result from sudden high fevers; most often seen in children

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Focal seizure

A

A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Generalized seizure

A

A seizure charachterized by severe twitching of all the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formerly known as a grand mal sezure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Hemiparesis

A

Weakness on on e side of the body.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Hemorrhagic stroke

A

A type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain.

17
Q

Hyperglycemia

A

An abnormally high blood glucose level.

18
Q

Hypoglycemia

A

An abnormally low blood glucose level.

19
Q

Incontinence

A

Loss of bowel and/or bladder control; may be a result of a generalized seizure.

20
Q

Ischemia

A

A lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permantent injury has not yet occured.

21
Q

Ischemic stroke

A

A type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage (eg , a blood clot) inside a blood vessel.

22
Q

Postictal state

A

The period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 30 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered mental status.

23
Q

Seizure

A

A neurologic episode caused by a surge of electical activity in the brain; can be a convulsion characterized by generalized, uncoordinated muscular activity, and cam be assosciated with loss of consciousness.

24
Q

Status epilepticus

A

A condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or last longer than 30 minutes.

25
Q

Stroke

A

An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

26
Q

Syncope

A

A fainting spell or transient loss of consciousness.

27
Q

Thrombosis

A

A blood clot, either in the arterial or venous system. When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, it may result in the interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke.

28
Q

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

A

A disorder of the brain in chich brain cells trmporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing strokelike symptoms that resolve completely withing 24 hours of onset.