Chapter 15 Neurologic Emergencies Flashcards
A condition characterized by a low blood glucose level.
Hypoglycemia
A blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel where it causes a blockage.
Embolus
A sensation experienced prior to a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur.
Aura
A state of profound unconsciousness from which one cannot be roused.
Coma
Loss of bowel and/or bladder control; may be the result of a generalized seizure.
Incontinence
Seizures that result from sudden high fevers, particularly in children.
Febrile seizures
A swelling or enlargement of part of a blood vessel, resulting from weakening of the vessel wall.
Aneurysm
A type of seizure that features rhythmic back-and-forth motion of an extremity and body stiffness.
Tonic-clonic seizure
One of the two main types of strokes; occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain.
Hemorrahagic stroke
Generalized, uncoordinated muscular activity associated with loss of consciousness; a convulsion.
Seizure
A 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.
Ischemia
Weakness on one side of the body.
Hemiparesis
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function. Also called a stroke.
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
A condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or last more than 30 minutes.
Status epilepticus
A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain.
Partial seizure
A period following a seizure that lasts between 5 and 30 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered mental status.
Postictal state
A seizure characterized by severe twitching of all the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formerly known as a grand mal seizure.
Generalized seizure
The inability to understand and/or produce speech.
Aphasia
A disorder of the brain in which brain cells temporarily stop working because of insufficient oxygen, causing strokelike symptoms that resolve completely within 24 hours of onset.
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
A blood clot, either in the arterial or venous system.
Thrombosis
Slurred speech.
Dysarthria
One of the two main types of stroke; occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage (eg, a clot) inside a blood vessel.
Ischemic stroke
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
Stroke
