Exam 3 Flashcards
Normal Neurologic Changes with Aging
Loss of brain mass
Decreased dendrite connections
Decreased cerebral blood flow/oxygenation
Do not need as much sleep
Decreased thermoregulation
Fine motor skills decrease, tremors increase
Level of Consciousness
MOST ACCURATE AND RELIABLE INDICATOR OF NEUROLOGICAL STATUS
Alert
Responsive and oriented and alert, open eyes spontaneously
Disorientation
Cannot follow simple commands, flat affect
Incoherent
Disconnected thought and speech
Unrelated thoughts that don’t make sense
Lethargic
Delayed response to stimulation
Drowsy, but easily awakened
Stupor
When patient wakes up only with vigorous or painful stimulation
Coma
A prolonged state of unconsciousness, unable to arouse
Altered Level of Consciousness
Caused by neurological issues, drugs, metabolism
Initial S/S include restlessness and anxiety, progresses to no response to voice or command
Pupils sluggish and progress to fixed and dilated
Posturing
Indicates a deterioration of condition
Decorticate
Abnormal flexion and extension
Decerebrate
Abnormal extension
Flaccid
No motor response in any extremities
Altered LOC Treatment
Suction, assess lungs, give oxygen, position lateral/side-lying or semi-prone
Padded side rails, avoid restraints
Lumbar Puncture
Putting a hollow needle into the subarachnoid space
Sterile procedure performed at bedside in order to examine the CSF
Have patient lay on their side with knee and head flexed
Contraindications include increased ICP
Normal Cerebrospinal Fluid
Normal clear, colorless
WBC: 0-5 cells/microliters
RBCs: 0
Glucose: 50-75 mg/dL
Protein: 15-45 mg/dL
Abnormal Cerebrospinal Fluid
Cloudy indicates infection
Yellow indicates bilirubin
Pink indicates hemorrhage
Brown/orange indicates elevated protein levels or RBC breakdown
Monro-Kellie Hypothesis
A change in volume of one of the contents in the brain leads to a decrease in another, or else intracranial pressure will increase
Early Recognition of Increased Intracranial Pressure
Decreased cerebral perfusion
Change in level of consciousness, irritability, diplopia, nausea, headache, sluggish pupils
Complications of Increased Intracranial Pressure
Supratentorial shift
Herniation
Later Signs of Increased Intracranial Pressure
Increased systolic blood pressure, bradycardia, deepening irregular respirations
Increased temperature
Posturing, vomiting, hiccups, chocken corneal disk
Diagnostic Tests for Increased Intracranial Pressure
CT scan, MRI
Treatment of Increased Intracranial Pressure
Craniotomy, craniectomy, drainage, internal monitoring
Mannitol, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, barbiturates, paralyzing agents
Craniotomy
Removing a bone flap from the skull which is eventually replaced
Craniectomy
Bone flap is removed and not replaced
Nursing Interventions for Increased Intracranial Pressure
VS with Neuro checks q1h/prn
Reduce venous volume by elevating HOB, neck in neutral position, avoid hip flexion, restrict fluids
Maintain patent airway
Maintain body temperature
Avoid exercise
Space nursing procedures
Seizure precautions should be instituted
Intracranial Surgery
Supratentorial, infratentorial, transsphenoidal
Burr holes
Cranioplasty
Repair of a cranial defect using a plastic or metal plate
Craniotomy Nursing Interventions
Maintain airway, assess frequently, look for signs of increased ICP, seizure precautions
Medications include phenytoin and phenytoin sodium
Align head in neutral position, HOB 30 degrees
Avoid coughing, sneezing, or nose blowing
Transsphenoidal Pre-Op
Sinus culture, corticosteroids, no nose blowing or coughing, no sucking through a straw
Transsphenoidal Post-Op
Check VS, visual acuity, keep HOB elevated
Provide good oral care due to breathing through the mouth, check for bleeding/CSF leakage
Complications of Transsphenoidal Surgery
Transient diabetes insipidus
CSF leakage
Visual disturbances, post-op meningitis
Pneumocephalus
Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone
Seizure
Abnormal electrical activity of brain cells
Can be caused by structural, metabolic, or idiopathic origin
Epilepsy
Recurrent episodes of seizures
Aura
Some kind of sensory change before a seizure occurs
Postictal Period
Rest period after a seizure, varies in time frame
Patient feels groggy and disoriented, common to experience headache, muscle aches
Status Epilepticus
Multiple seizures without a postictal period
Most often caused by sudden withdrawal of anti-seizure medications
Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Grand mal
Most common, bilateral movement of extremities, whole body is involved
Tonic is stiffening, clonic is jerking of extremities
Associated with an aura, postictal period, loss of consciousness, incontinence, biting of tongue
Absence Seizures
Petit Mal
More frequent during childhood and adolescence
No aura, no postictal period, does not last very long, no loss of consciousness
Sit upright and have a blank stare, might lose muscle tone
Modifiable Risk Factors for Cerebrovascular Disorders
Hypertension Cardiovascular disease Elevated cholesterol or hematocrit Obesity Diabetes Oral contraceptive use Smoking and drug and alcohol use
Transient Ischemic Attack
Temporary focal loss of neurologic function caused by ischemia
Preventive Treatment and Secondary Prevention of TIA
Healthy diet, exercise, prevention of periodontal disease Carotid endarterectomy Anticoagulant therapy Antiplatelet therapy "Statins" Antihypertensive medications
Carotid Endarterectomy
Usually performed to remove atherosclerotic plaque that has significantly reduced the lumen of the artery
Symptoms in carotid disease are caused by a significant reduction in cerebral blood flow
Nursing Management of Carotid Endarterectomy
Assess pain and treat
Neuro checks every hour (cough/gag reflex, visual fields, motor/sensory integrity)
Assess patency of carotid artery by palpating temporal artery
VS hourly
Continuous EKG monitoring
Dressing check, HOB elevated, TCDB
Antiplatelet therapy
Watch for These After Carotid Endarterectomy
Hemiplegia/hemiparesis, pupil irregularity, aphasia
Difficulty breathing, stridor, tracheal deviation
Excessive bleeding from drains
Dysrhythmias, hypotension, hypertension
Cranial nerve injuries
Stroke
Sudden loss of function resulting from a disruption of the blood supply to a part of the brain
Ischemic (80-85%)
Hemorrhagic (15-20%)
Thrombotic Stroke
Cerebral thrombosis is a narrowing of the artery by fatty deposits called plaque
Plaque can cause a clot to form, which blocks the passage of blood through the artery
Embolic Stroke
An embolus is a blood clot or other debris circulating in the blood
When it reaches an artery in the brain that is too narrow to pass through, it lodges there and blocks the flow of blood
Hemorrhagic Stroke
A burst blood vessel may allow blood to seep into and damage brain tissues until clotting shuts off the leak
Severe headache, early and sudden changes in LOC, vomiting
If blood flow to the brain is totally interrupted…
Neurologic metabolism altered in 30 seconds
Metabolism stops in 2 minutes
Cellular death occurs in 5 mintues
If adequate blood flow can be restored in less than 3 hours…
Less brain damage = less function loss
Area around dying cells are ischemic cells (penumbra)–target for reperfusion
Use of thrombolytics