Chapter 17 Neurologic Emergencies Flashcards
Altered mental status
Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status
Aneurysm
A swelling or enlargement of the wall of a blood vessel that results from weakening of the vessel wall
Aphasia
The inability to understand and/or produce speech
Atherosclerosis
A disorder in which calcium and cholesterol buildup inside the walls of the blood vessels, forming plaque, potentially leading to a partial or complete blockage of blood flow
Aura
A sensation experienced before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
And interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke
Coma
A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused
Delirium
A temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and effect,hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness
Dysarthria
Slurred speech
Embolus
A blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel where it causes a blockage
Epilepsy
It disorder in which abnormal electrical discharge is occur 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) seizure
A seizure characterized by severe twitching of all the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formally known as a grand mal seizure
Himiparesis
Weakness on one side of the body
Hemorrhagic stroke
A type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain
Hypoglycemia
An abnormally low blood glucose level
Incontinence
Loss of bowel and/or bladder control; may be the result of a generalized seizure
ischemia
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
Ischemic stroke
A type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage (e.g., A blood clot) inside a blood vessel
Partial (focal) seizure
A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain
Postictal state
The period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 30 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered mental status
Seizure
A neurologic episode caused by a 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
A condition in which seizures reoccur every few minutes or lasts longer than 30 minutes
Stroke
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
Syncope
A fainting spell or transient loss of consciousness
Thrombosis
A blood clot, either in the arterial or venous system. When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, and may result in the interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
A disorder of the brain in which brain cells temporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing stroke like symptoms that resolved completely within 24 hours of onset
