Chapter 17: Neurological Emergencies Flashcards
The ability to understand and/or produce speech.
Aphasia
A sensation experienced before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur.
Aura
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke.
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)
A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused.
Coma
A sudden change in mental status that is generally acute and reversible, characterized by disorientation, inability to focus, inattention, inability to think logically, memory loss, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness.
Delirium
Slurred Speech
Dysarthria
A disorder in which abnormal electrical discharges occur in the brain, causing seizure and possible loss of consciousness.
Epilepsy
Seizures that result from sudden high fevers; most often seen in children.
Febrile Seizures
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
One of the basic sugars; it is the primary fuel, in conjunction with oxygen, for cellular metabolism.
Glucose
Weakness on one side of the body.
Hemiparesis
A type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Loss of bowel and/or bladder control; may be the result of a generalized seizure.
Incontinence
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.
Ischemic Stroke
A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain.
Partial Seizure
The period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 30 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered mental status.
Postictal State
A neurological episode caused by a surge of electrical activity in the brain; can be a convulsion characterized by generalized, uncoordinated muscular activity, and can associated with loss of consciousness.
Seizure
A condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or last longer than 30 minutes.
Status Epilepticus
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.
Thrombosis
A disorder of the brain in which brain cells temporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing stroke-like symptoms that resolve completely within 24 hours of onset.
Transient Ischemic Attack
