Neurologic Disorders Flashcards
stroke syndromes;
- motor/sensory = upper body, facial droop
- visual = eyes deviate TOWARDS lesion
- other = receptive or expressive aphasia
MCA (anterior circulation)
stroke syndromes;
- motor/sensory = lower body
- visual = n/a
- other = urinary incontinence, personality change
ACA (anterior circulation)
stroke syndromes;
- motor/sensory = n/a
- visual = CONTRAlateral homonymous hemianopsia
- other = visual hallucinations
PCA (posterior circulation)
stroke syndromes;
- motor/sensory = contralateral hemiplegia
- visual = IPSilateral CN 3 palsy (“down and out”), ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome
- other = mild contralateral gait disturbance
Weber’s (posterior circulation)
stroke syndromes;
- motor/sensory = contralateral hemiplegia
- visual = IPSilateral CN 3 palsy (“down and out”), ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome
- other = severe contralateral gait disturbance
Benedikt’s (posterior circulation)
stroke syndromes;
- motor/sensory = IPSilateral FACIAL sensory loss (CN 5), CONTRAlateral BODY sensory loss
- visual = ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome
- other = vertigo, ataxia, dysarthria, dysphagia
PICA (Wallenberg’s) (posterior circulation)
in a patient w/ a previous stroke, what are the 2 most likely processes if there’s an abrupt worsening of symptoms?
- new stroke
- seizure from the stroke scar
in acute ischemic stroke, the eyes tend to move in which direction?
TOWARD the stroke lesion
in seizures, the eyes tend to move in which direction?
AWAY from the focus of the seizure
which neurological condition could lead to the eyes deviating TOWARDS the seizure focus?
Todd’s paralysis
what is the dosing for tPA for acute ischemic stroke?
0.9 mg/kg (up to a total dose of 90 mg) IV; divided into 10% bolus followed by 90% of the remaining dose infused over 60 minutes
what are the 2 important points to d/w a patient about tPA for stroke?
- doesn’t change mortality, but increases likelihood of recovery to independence
- hemorrhage risk is slightly higher in patients who get tPA (< 7%) than those who don’t
contraindications for tPA in acute ischemic stroke
- recent major surgery
- AC w/ INR > 1.7
- thrombocytopenia
- recent stroke or head trauma w/i 3 months
- GIB w/i 3 weeks
- uncontrollable HTN before administration
- h/o intracranial hemorrhage
contraindications for tPA in acute ischemic stroke
- recent major surgery
- AC w/ INR > 1.7
- thrombocytopenia
- recent stroke or head trauma w/i 3 months
- GIB w/i 3 weeks
- uncontrollable HTN before administration
- h/o intracranial hemorrhage
how to calculate NIH stroke scale
- level of consciousness
- ask month and age
- can blink eyes and squeeze hands
- horizontal EOM
- visual fields
- facial palsy
- UE motor drift
- LE motor drift
- limb ataxia
- sensation
- language/aphasia
- dysarthria
- extinction/inattention
NIH stroke scale score range
0 to 42
time window for tPA administration for acute ischemic stroke
w/i 3-4.5 hours from LSW
SAH diagnosis
- acute-onset severe headache
- neck stiffness
- noncontrast CT scan
when is LP done to diagnose SAH?
if CTH is negative but high clinical suspicion based on patient history
most important early consideration in a patient diagnosed w/ SAH
identifying a vascular abnormality that could rebleed
in a patient w/ SAH and a cerebral angiogram negative for aneurysm, what other imaging study should be performed?
MRI of the spine to check for spinal AVMs
spinal AVMs can lead to neurological disability in what 2 ways?
- bleeding causing damage to the spinal cord or brainstem
- venous HTN from arterialization of the spinal draining veins which leads to spinal infarction
what intervention has the best evidence of improving outcome in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
prevention of hypotension
what are some triggers of enzymatic dysfunction of urea cycle metabolism leading to hyperammonemia?
- infection
- severe exercise
- seizures
- dietary protein loading
- TPN
- drugs (abx, valproate, anti-TB meds)
what is the most common inborn error of metabolism affecting the urea cycle?
ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency
- evidence of cirrhosis at an early age
- Kayser-Fleisher rings
- disrupted copper metabolism leading to cirrhosis and neurologic injury
Wilson’s disease
what AED can cause decompensation in patients w/ urea cycle enzymatic dysfunction and CI?
valproate
medication and dose that is MOST successful at both stopping convulsions in the first 20 minutes and preventing the recurrence of status epilepticus?
lorazepam 0.1 mg/kg iv
what paralytic is contraindicated in patients w/ chronic hemiplegia or chronically bed-bound patients and why?
- succinylcholine
- potential for massive hyperkalemia and arrhythmias
depolarizing paralytic agents
succinylcholine
- fast-acting
- nondepolarizing paralytic
- relatively long half-life; approximately 45 minutes
rocuronium
what is a common feature in the first 72 hours in patients w/ ICH, and is more frequent in patients w/ ICH who have intraventricular extension?
fever
what is the cause of fever in approximately half of the patients in the neurological ICU?
noninfectious
what lab test might assist in the diagnosis of infection and deescalation or discontinuation of abx w/ suspected infection, especially PNA?
procalcitonin, however, brain injury is a/w elevated procalcitonin levels which may complicate its application
autoimmune paraneoplastic syndrome often lead to what?
- severe encephalopathy
- seizures
- eventually death
the most common precipitating illness for autoimmune paraneoplastic syndrome is
small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
benign ovarian and testicular teratomas are a/w what syndrome?
anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis syndrome
opsoclonus-myoclonus is most commonly a/w
SCLC in older patients
retinal blindness is typically a/w
breast cancer
Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is often a/w
SCLC but can be a/w breast cancer and lymphosarcoma
anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis syndrome is a unique paraneoplastic syndrome for what reasons?
- atypical presentation
- initially manifest w/ paranoia and psychosis followed by progressive encephalopathy and seizures until 1 of 3 things happens:
- patient is treated
- syndrome resolves spontaneously
- patient succumbs
- most commonly seen in young adults
- majority of patients are found to have nonmalignant disease
treatment for all paraneoplastic syndromes
- plasmapheresis or IVIG
- followed by suppression of immune response w/ immunomodulatory medications
what is the most common neurological syndrome found in the critical care setting?
delirium
delirium, by definition, is what type of encephalopathy?
- not a/w an identifiable cause, and
- is a diagnosis of exclusion
what are patient-inherent factors that are significant risk factors for delirium?
- age
- dementia
- previous episodes of delirium
what are extrinsic risk factors for delirium?
- lack of sleep-wake cycle regulation
- medications (including γ-aminobutyric acid agonists such as benzodiazepines)
- immobility
delirium is defined as
- confusion
- waxing and waning course
- periods of agitation or withdrawal
clinical trials and quality initiatives have attempted to address preventing delirium in susceptible patients w/ what interventions?
- early mobility
- sleep hygiene
- activities
- limiting benzodiazepines
- limiting sleep-disrupting interventions
- are only marginally successful
what pharmacological interventions have been shown to improve patients w/ delirium?
none
treatment for delirium w/ agitation
behavior control
treatment for delirium w/ withdrawal
??? (few interventions tested)
what does the term “completed stroke” mean?
- old term that shouldn’t really be used anymore
- usually signifies a focal neurological disability that came on abruptly and has become stabilized; 18-24 hours if the lesion is in the carotid system, and up to 72 hours if in vertebral-basilar system
- others use the term to mean that all the deficit that is to occur has already accrued
- others have used the term to imply that all the deficit possible in a given vascular territory is already present
based on the DAWN and DIFUSE-3 trials, if a patient has a LVO in the IC or MCA, and little evidence of a “completed stroke,” patients outside the 3 and 4.5 hour windows for tPa should be evaluated for what?
mechanical thrombectomy
how are stroke patients evaluated for thrombectomy?
proprietary software (RAPID) that calculates the percentage of the entire affected vessel occlusion field that is involved BUT not yet infarcted (brain at risk)
in both the DAWN and DIFUSE-3 trials, both MR and CT angiography were accepted, and required LVO for enrollment; patients need to have what on CT perfusion scan or MR diffusion scan before thrombectomy?
significant mismatch between occluded vessel territory and brain infarction
the INTERACT 2 trial found what regarding patients w/ ICH w/ ventricular extension?
target SBP < 140 mm Hg was a/w lower rate of hematoma expansion and modestly improved neurologic outcomes, but no improvement in the primary outcome of combined mortality and major disability
the ATACH 2 trial demonstrated what regarding patients w/ ICH w/ ventricular extension?
no improvement in neurologic outcome w/ more aggressive treatment of SBP < 120 mm Hg, but a/w 2x worsening renal function
what did the PATCH trial demonstrate regarding patient on an antiplatelet medication that p/w supratentorial ICH?
- platelet transfusion did not improve neurological outcomes at 3 months
- higher odds of death or dependency in platelet transfusion group
ICH w/ intraventricular blood is a/w a high mortality rate and severe disability d/t what mechanisms?
- excitatory neurotoxicity
- acute hydrocephalus
in the CLEAR III trial, intraventricular alteplase or saline administered through a previously inserted EVD in patients w/ ICH and ventricular blood w/ 3rd or 4th ventricle obstruction showed what?
no improvement in survival