Neurological Emergencies Flashcards
The right side of the cerebrum controls what?
Left side of bosy
The left side of the cerebrum controls what?
The right side of the bidy
What does the front part of cerebrum control?
Emotions and thought
What does the middle part of the cerebrum control
Touch and movement
What does the back part of the cerebrum control?
Vision
Speech is controlled by what side of the cerebrum
Center left
What does AMS mean
Altered medical status
How can seizures occur (4)
–A recent or an old head injury
–A brain tumor
–A metabolic problem
–A genetic disposition
What four things does the brain stem control?
Breathing
Blood pressure
Swallowing
Pupil constriction
What does the cerebellum control
Motor skills:
Walking
Writing
Playing piano
What is the opening in the brain that connects to the spinal cord called?
Foremen magnum
What are the most common types if headaches?
Tension headaches
What are migraine headaches caused by
–Thought to be caused by changes in the blood vessel size in the base of the brain
What are sinus headaches caused by
–Caused by pressure that is the result of fluid accumulation in the sinus cavities
What is a stroke also called
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
What causes strokes
Interruption of blood flow to the brain
What are the two types of stroke
Ischemic (clotting)
hemorrhagic (not getting through cessles)
Which type of stroke is most common
Ischemic
What causes hemorrhagic stroke
Bleeding inside the brain
Who are at the biggest risk for hemorrhagic strokes
People with very high blood pressure
What is an aneurysm
Swelling or enlargement of an artery due to weakening of arterial wall
When a hemorrhagic stroke happens in a health young person, what is it called
a berry aneurysm
What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Normal processes in the body breaks up a clot in the brain
Called mini strokes
Precursor to something worse
This often indicates a serious medical condition that may prove fatal
What are signs and symptoms of stroke
- Facial drooping
- Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, leg, or one side of body
- Loss of movement and sensation on one side of the body
- Lack of muscle coordination (ataxia)
- Sudden vision loss in one eye, blurred and double vision
- Difficulty swallowing
- Decreased or increased level of responsiveness
- Speech disorders (dysphasia)
- Difficulty expressing thoughts or inability to speak or understand others
- Slurred speech (dysarthria)
- Decreased or absent movement in one or more extremities
- Sudden and severe headache
- Sudden loss of balance or trouble walking
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Combativeness
- Restlessness
- Tongue deviation
- Coma
What is ataxia
Lack of muscle coordination
Stroke in the left hemisphere may cause what?
Aphasia
Paralysis in the right side of the body
What is aphasia
Inability to produce or understand speech
Stroke on the right hemisphere may cause what?
Paralysis on the left side of bkdy
What is hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar
What is postictal state
Period following seizure that lasts between 5-30 mins
What causes subdural and epidural bleeding
Blood near the skull presses on the brain
What is epidural bleeding
Bleeding outside dura and under skull
What is subdural bleeding
Bleeding under dura but outside skull
What accounts for 30% of ems calls
Seizures
What are generalized seizures (grande mal seizure)
•Typically characterized by unconsciousness and a generalized severe twitching of all muscles
What are simple partial seizures
–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
What are complex partial seizures
–Altered mental status
–Lip smacking, eye blinking, isolated jerking
–Uncontrollable fear
What are tonic clonic seizures
•Characterized by sudden loss of consciousness, chaotic muscle movement and tone, and apnea
–Often preceded by an aura
What happens in the tonic phase if tonic clonic seizures
Bilateral muscle rigidity
What happens during the clonic phase during the tonic clonic seizures
Muscle contraction and reaction lasting 1-3 minutes
What are absence seizures (petit mal)
Lasts for seconds
Patient fully recovers with a brief lapse of memory
What is status epilepticus
- Seizures lasting more than 5 minutes are likely to progress to status epilepticus.
- Seizures that continue every few minutes without the person regaining consciousness or last longer than 30 minutes are referred to as status epilepticus.
What does congenital mean?
Being born with soething
What is a febrile seizure?
Seizure caused by Sudden high fever. Particularly in young children
How can epileptic seizures be controlled?
Medications
What are five things that can cause a metabolic seizure?
–Abnormal levels of certain blood chemicals
–Hypoglycemia
–Poisons
–Drug overdoses
–Sudden withdrawal from routine heavy alcohol or sedative drug use
