Neurological Pathologies Flashcards
Headaches
Common triggers:
- cigarette smoking
- stress
- sleep deprivation
- changes in BP
- meds
- certain foods
Headaches S&S
- rapid onset
- throbbing pain in frontal & temporal lobes
- migraine (aura = blurry vision, flashes of light, impaired speech)
- nausea and vomiting
- dizziness
- photosensitivity
- memory loss
Headaches S&S for referral
- new/unusual headache
- sudden onset of sever headache
- change in pattern or area of pain
- chronic headaches w/ localized pain
- headaches that interrupt sleep
- visual disturbances
- numbness, weakness, paralysis of face
- headache with stiff neck
- headache with fever or weight loss
Headache Treatment
- Avoid triggers
- NSAIDs
- prescription meds for pain control
- rest in quiet dark room
- small amounts of caffeine
- cold or hot compression
- temporal massage
Encephalitis
inflammation of brain
- primary: virus directly invades the brain and spinal cord
- secondary: viral infection of another part of the body that then enters the brain
Encephalitis S&S
- rapid onset
- headache
- fever
- vomiting
- photophobia
- stiff neck and back
- confusion
- disorientation
- fatigue
- irritability
- possible seizures
Encephalitis Treatment
- incubation period for 5-15 days
- immediate referral
- maintenance of body symptoms
- control brain inflammation
- ventilation for breathing difficulties
- IV hydration & nutrition
Aseptic Meningitis
viral inflammation of the meninges & the cerebrospinal fluid
Caused by:
- mumps
- varicella-zoster viruses
- herpes
- associated with undiagnosed skull fracture
Aseptic Meningitis S&S
- nausea
- photophobia
- confusion
- possible seizures
Red Flags:
- severe headache
- high fever
- painful/stiff neck
Aseptic Meningitis Treatment
- immediate referral
- biopsy of CPF from lumbar region to rule out bacterial meningitis and encephalitis
- treat symptoms (NSAIDs, rest, hydrate
Bacterial Meningitis
- acute life-threatening infection of meninges and cerebrospinal fluid
- can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, kidney failure, learning disability, or limb amputation
Bacterial Meningitis S&S
- Nausea
- photophobia
- possible seizure
- skin rash
- no appetite or thirst
Red Flags:
- severe, unrelenting headache
- sudden high fever
- painful/stiff neck
- confusion
- vomiting
Bacterial Meningitis Treatment
- IV antibiotics
- symptom management
Bacterial Meningitis Special Tests
- nuchal rigidity
- Brudzinski sign
- kernig sign
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Occurs when immune system attacks nerves causing demyelination of spinal roots & PNS
Guillain-Barre Syndrome S&S
- weakness & tingling in extremities
- prickling in fingers and toes
- shortness of breath
- unsteady gait
- difficulty w/ eye movement, facial movement, speaking, chewing or swallowing
- areflexia (no reflex)
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Treatment
- immediate referral
- no cure, complete recovery is rare
- may take a year or more for symptoms to lessen
- plasmapheresis (removing damaging antibodies from blood)
- immunoglobin therapy (immunoglobins added to blood to block inflammatory antibodies)
Multiple Sclerosis
- chronic neurodegeneration disease affecting the CNS
- myelin sheaths are destroyed and replaced w/ hard sclerotic tissue
- nerve damage caused by inflammation from the immune system attacking nervous system
Multiple Sclerosis S&S
- motor control issues
- fatigue
- neurological symptoms
- bladder and bowel dysfunction
- neuro-psychological symptoms
Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
- disease-modifying therapy
- relapse management therapies
- symptomatic treatment
- complementary therapies
Epilepsy
Disorder of the brain causing electrical surge signals resulting in seizures
Causes:
- previous brain injury
- stroke
- brain tumor
- infection
- alcohol or drug withdrawal
- heat stroke
- inherited disorders
Epilepsy S&S
- aura prior to seizure (tingling sensation, emotional change, phantom smell)
- convulsions
- profuse sweating
- confusion
- loss of consciousness
Epilepsy Treatment
- DO NOT restrain patient
- clear area around patient
- place pad under their head
- check ABCs
- call EMS if abnormal
Epilepsy RTP
Depends on sport and severity
Lower risk if:
- seizure-free for 1 year with meds
- seizure-free for 2 years w/out meds
Sports to avoid:
- gymnastics
- motor sports
- swimming
- weight lifting
Stroke
occurs due to lack of blood supply to brain (brain cells can die w/in minutes due to the lack of oxygen supply from blood)
Stroke S&S
BE FAST
- balance difficulties
- eyesight changes
- face weakness
- arm weakness
- speech difficulty
- time to call 911
Stroke Treatment
- Call EMS
- IV warfarin (blood thinner)
- IV tissue plasminogen activator (clot dissolver)
- speech, occupational, or physical therapy
Stroke Athletic Participation
- depends on severity of stroke and its cause
- physical activity is recommended
- contact sport is discurraged
- to participate athlete must: be able to perform functional sport movement & have proper biomechanics
