Neuro Assessment Flashcards
___ is always #1 Normal sized pupils should be __ to__ mm.
-LOC -2-6 (look at shape, size, and how quickly or sluggishly they react to light)
When we assess the eyes, what do we look at?
size, shape, how quickly they react to light. PERRLA ( pupils equal round reactive to light plus accommodation)
When a patient has intra-cranial pressure, how will the pupils react?
very slow and the shape will change
How do you do a corneal assessment?
what are we looking for?
you either blow in the air, or touch it with a sterile tissue. we want to see if the patient will blink (don’t check it too often because it can cause corneal abrasion).
Vital signs are usually early or late changes of increased ICP?
late
What will the pulse pressure do in the presence of intracranial pressure?
it will widen (the diff between the systolic and diastolic)
a head “thing” plus headache=___
increased ICP
speaking shows a high level of____
brain function
absence of movement is the ___ level of response.
lowest
Oculocephalic reflex is AKA____
Doll’s eyes (turn their head 1 way, and their eyes go the other way)
how do you test for “doll’s eyes”? what does it assess?
move the head quickly to the right, and if the eyes move to the left, then the reflex is positive. EYES MOVE IN THE OPOSITE DIRECTION
If the eyes remain stationary (dead center), then the reflex is absent. (you gotta be unconscious for it to work) brain stem function
if you had a bad head injury, why would you wish that you have doll’s eyes?
it means your brain stem is intact
Oculovestibular reflex test is AKA___ what does it assess?
Iced water calorics test brain stem function
How do you do the iced water calorics test?
You irrigate the ear with 50cc of cool water. in a normal reaction, the eyes will move to irrigated ear and rapidly back to mid position. (the patient would normally look towards the painful stimuli to see who’s ass they’re about to kick)
Normally, when you put iced water in people’s ear, what other symptom do they get?
nausea/ GI upset (so, after cold calorics test, make sure you turn patient to their side so they won’t aspirate).
When it comes to the babinski reflex, if you are a baby is it ok?
yes; positive babinski and it’s ok
you just checked deep tendon reflexes on your new patient. he got a score of 2+. How would you chart that?
2+/4
