Neurologic Emergencies

Question 1

Name some contributing factors to a stroke

Answer 1

family history, race, and ethnicity ( African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians have inc risk)

Question 2

What is a stroke?

Answer 2

interruption of blood flow to brain resulting in loss of brain function

Question 3

What is ischemia?

Answer 3

reduction on blood supply that results in inadequate oxygen being supplied to the brain cells

Question 4

What is ischemic stroke?

Answer 4

blood flow to specific part of brain is stopped by a thrombus or embolus

Question 5

What is a hemorrhagic stroke?

Answer 5

vessel in brain bleeds, forming a clot that compresses brain tissue next to it, killing the brain tissue.

Question 6

Who is at risk for hemorrhagic stroke?

Answer 6

Those with extremely high BP or chronic high BP

Question 7

What is an aneurysm?

Answer 7

Swelling or enlargement of the wall of an artery resulting from a defect or weakening of the arterial wall

Question 8

Symptom of an aneurysm?

Answer 8

sudden onset severe headache (worst headache Ive ever had)

Question 9

Signs and symptom of stroke

Answer 9

Facial drooping
Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, leg, or one side of body
Decreased or absent movement and sensation on one side of the body
Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia) or loss of balance
Sudden vision loss in one eye
Blurred and double vision
Difficulty swallowing
Decreased level of responsiveness
Speech disorders
Aphasia
Slurred speech (dysarthria)
Sudden and severe headache
Confusion
Dizziness
Weakness
Combativeness
Restlessness
Tongue deviation
Coma

Question 10

What might a stroke on the left side cause?

Answer 10

Stroke in the left cerebral hemisphere may cause aphasia (Inability to produce or understand speech)
paralysis of the right side of the body

Question 11

What might a stroke on the right side cause?

Answer 11

paralysis of the left side of the body.
Usually, patients can understand language and are able to speak.
Patients may be oblivious to their problem (neglect).

Question 12

What is a seizure?

Answer 12

A neurologic episode caused by a surge of electrical activity in the brain

Question 13

What is a generalized seizure(tonic-clonic)?

Answer 13

Results from abnormal electrical discharges from large areas of the brain. Typically characterized by unconsciousness and a generalized severe twitching of all muscles lasting several minutes or longer

Question 14

What is an absence seizure?

Answer 14

Does not involve any changes in motor activity
 Characterized by a brief lapse of consciousness in which the patient seems to
stare and not respond

Question 15

What is a focal onset aware seizure?

Answer 15

No change in the patient’s level of consciousness
May have numbness, weakness, dizziness, visual changes, or unusual
smells/tastes
May have some twitching or brief paralysis

Question 16

What is a focal onset impaired awareness seizure?

Answer 16

Altered mental status
 Results from abnormal discharges from the temporal lobe of the brain
 Lip smacking, eye blinking, isolated jerking
 Unpleasant smells, visual hallucinations, uncontrollable fear, repetitive physical
behavior

Question 17

What is altered mental status?

Answer 17

patient is not thinking clearly or is incapable of being awakened. May be unconscious or alert but confused

Question 18

What can cause altered mental status?

Answer 18

Hypoglycemia
 Hypoxemia
 Intoxication
 Delirium
 Drug overdose
 Unrecognized head injury
Brain infection
 Body temperature abnormality
 Brain tumor
 Overdose and/or poisoning

Question 19

What is delirium?

Answer 19

A temporary state that often has a physical or mental cause like infection, change in medication, hypoxia

Question 20

Signs and symptoms of delirium?`

Answer 20

confusion and disorientation, disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or decreased level of conciousness