Dx and Assessment Flashcards
CT
With or without dye
No iodine or fish allergy
Pt may feel warm or metallic taste with injection of dye
Dx: lesions, tumor, hemorrhage, herniated discs
Drink lots of water after
MRI
Dx: brain tumor, stroke, MS
Remove all metal objects
No pacemaker, metal implants
Lumbar Puncture
Dx: meningitis, Guillain-Barre, MS
Empty bladder before
After: lie flat, encourage fluids to replace fluid lost
contraindicated for ICP
Electroencephalography
Dx: seizures
Before: wash hair, no caffeine, antidepressants, or antiseizure meds
Glasgow Coma Scale
1-15
<7 is coma
Babinksi reflex
Fanning of toes elicited by stroking he lateral aspect of the sole of the food. Indicative of CNS problems
Brudzinkski’s sign
Involuntary flexion of hip and neck when neck is passively flexed (meinigitis)
Kernig’s sign
Supine patient’s loss of ability to straighten leg when it is fully flexed at the knee and hip (meningitis)
Decorticate posturing
Flexes arms onto chest, legs extend stiffly (arms to CORE)
Decerebrate posturing
Extensor posturing indicates brainstem lesion
Stiffly extends arms and/or legs
Agnosia
Inability to recognize familiar objects or people
Apraxia
Loss of ability to carry out skilled movements despite physical ability to do so
Hemianopsia
Blindness is half visual field
Homonymous Hemianopsia
Loss of half the field of view on the same side in both eyes
Aphasia
Expressive, receptive, global or mixed
Issues with communicating
