neurological conditions Flashcards
what is a ischemic stroke?
a blockage of a blood vessel causing hypoxic damage to an area of brain tissue
what is a hemorrhagic stroke?
blood vessels in the brain rupture. This can cause bleeding into the surrounding brain tissue and can apply pressure to other areas of the brain
what is a transient ischaemic attack?
A TIA is caused by the temporary disturbance of blood supply to a restricted area of the brain, resulting in brief neurological dysfunction that usually persists for less than 24 hours.
what are the risk factors of a stroke?
hypertension,
heart disease,
diabetes,
smoking,
alcohol consumption,
high cholesterol,
illicit drug use
what are clinical signs of a stroke?
Response – possible loss of consciousness
Airway – noise/loss of reflexes/vomiting
Breathing – stertorous (snoring or gasping)
Circulation – radial full and slow, patient flushed and warm, raised blood pressure
Disability – cerebral irritation, confusion, agitation & aggression, fits, incontinence and altered levels of consciousness
Pupils possibly unequal, slow to react
Hemiparalysis
Monoplegia
what does FAST stand for?
facial drop,
arm weakness,
slurred speech,
time of onset.
what does AVVV stand for?
ataxia or loss of coordination,
visual disturbance,
vertigo (room is spinning)
vomiting.
how would you manage a stroke patient?
SMART approach
ACVPU
Airway – consider breathing
Breathing – consider oxygen as per JRCALC
Circulation – radial pulse, colour, temperature
Disability – FAST, mobility, pupils
Expose/Examine - any injuries?
Secondary survey – head to toe
History of events
Medical alert bracelet
Provide support for relatives
Patient may still be able to hear
Remember medication
Full set of observations
Consider the recovery position – sit back at 30°
what is epilepsy?
the tendency to have recurrent seizures.
a sudden burst of excess electivity activity in the brain causing a temporary disruption in the normal passage between brain cells.
this distruption results in the messages being mixed up.
what are causes of epilepsy?
cerebral damage from previous infection such as meningitis,
brain injury or lack of oxygen at birth,
brain trauma,
cerebral hemorrhage or tumor
cryptogenic (cause unknown)
Causes: traumatic brain injuries: strokes, tumours, lack of oxygen.
Infections- meningitis, HIV.
Genetic.
Low blood sugar levels.
Developmental conditions such as autism
Alcohol withdrawal- brain chemicals being umbalenceed due to the depressant factor in epilepsy.
Drug intoxication or withdrawal- sudden uncontrollable electrical surge in the brain.
what does a general seizure mean?
both side of the brain are involved at the outset
what does tonic clonic seizures mean?
violent muscle contractions
what does tonic seizures mean?
rigid (/not flexiable)
what does atonic seizures mean?
floppy and muscles react. pt falls forward
what does absence seizures mean?
brief lapse of consciousness
what does partial seizure mean?
the discharge starts in a localized area of the brain
what does simple partial seizure mean?
can remember what happend
patient is consious, pins and needles, unusual smell and taste, localised jerking
what does complex partial seizure mean
loss of consciousness, repetitive behaviour, walking round appearing drunk
what does secondary generalised seizures mean?
previous symptoms leading to tonic clonic seizures.
what is a tonic sezuire?
patient goes rigid (not flexible) and falls to the floor. stiffening of the muscles no convlsion (no irregular movement)
what is a chronic sezuire?
start convulsing (contraction of the muscles) and labored breathing
what is a atonic seziure?
sudden loss of muscle tone, person collapses to the ground. usually a quick recover.
what is a absences seziure?
brief interruption of consciousness, blank staring, fluttering of the eyelids, nodding of the head.
what is the epilepsy medication?
carbamazepine,
sodium valproate,
levetiracetam
how would you manage a seziure?
Dangers – clear space, do not restrain, loosen tight clothing
Response – ACVPU – continually reassess
Airway – do not forcibly open the airway
Breathing – high flow oxygen required
Circulation – radial pulse, colour, temperature of patient
Disability – pupils, sleep after seizure is normal, FAST test
Expose and examine – any injuries?
Secondary survey -
- Head to toe
- Medical alert band
- Bracelet
- Provide support for relatives
- Patient may still be able to hear
- Remember medication
- Consider the recovery position
what is status epilepticus?
uncommon but potentially life threatening condition.
occurs when seizures or recurrent seizures continue for 30 minutes with no recovery imbetween.
can result in permanent neurological damage, respiratory failure, cardiac arrrest and death.
what is a febrile convulsions?
seizures brought on by a sudden rise in body temperature
what are causes of febrile convulsions?
illness/ infection.
to much clothing
over heated environment
common in children up to 3 years old
what are signs and symptoms of febrile convulsions?
Loss of consciousness
Twitching or jerking of arms and legs
Breathing difficulty
Foaming at the mouth
Going pale or bluish in skin color
raised body temperature
what is meningitis?
what is it caused by?
Meningitis is inflammation of the lining around your brain and spinal cord.
caused by bacteria, viral or fungal pathogens swelling to the meninges
what are symptoms of meningitis?
Non-disappearing rash
Headache
Nausea
Sudden fever
Light sensitivity
Confusion
Lethargy
what is cerebral palsy?
a group of disorders that affect a persons ability to move and maintain balance and posture.
what causes cerebal palsy?
an abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a persons ability to control their muscles.
lack of oxygen to the brain during birth
what other conditions would a patient possibly have with cerebral palsy?
intellectual disability,
seizures,
problems with vision, hearing or speech,
changes in the spine such as scoliosis,
joint problems
what is Parkinson’s disease?
a condition were there isnt enough chemical dopamine in the brain due to some of the nerve cells that have made it stop working