Neurology and neurosurg Flashcards
Difference between a stroke and a TIA
TIA: episode <24hours without brain damage on imaging or neurological deficits
Stroke: brief episode with brain injury or neurological deficits still existing at 72 hours.
When do you call a code stroke and what does this mean?
If <4.5hours from symptom onset -> thrombolysis (if ischaemic)
What does fast stand for?
Facial weakness (can they smile? Any mouth or eye droop?)
Arm weakness (can they raise both arms and hold it there)
Speech difficulity
Time to act fast!
What are some DDX that can mimic stroke? (list 5)
Seizure
Sepsis
Syncope/pre-syncope
Space occupying lesion (haemmhorage or tumour)
Toxic/metabolic derangement (hypoglycaemia, hyponatraemia)
Initial management (in ED) of stroke
ABCs and vitals BSL, FBE, UEC CODE STROKE -> mobilise stroke team ECG (AF?) CT brain Medications (aspirin 100mg, ACEi, statin)
What are the 2 main types of stroke and their sub categories?
- Ischaemic
- intracerebral
- subarachnoid - Haemmhoragic
- Large artery thromboembolism
- Cardiogenic embolism (AF)
- Lacunar infarct
Which type of stroke is most lethal?
Intracerebral
What is the hallmark of a SA haemmhorage?
What is this due to?
CT findings
Thunderclap headache
-ruptured berry
Aneurism (around circle of willis) or AV malformation
CT: Hyperdense blood in fissures, commonly around COW.
What type of stroke is associted w HTN?
Deep intracerebral haemmhorage (putamen, thalamus, brainstem, cerebellum)
Should patients be able to recall what they were doing at the moment their stroke SX began, or is this is a sign of a mimic?
Yes they should with a stroke.
In stroke MX, what agent do you use for thrombolysis? What is the aim of thrombolysis?
Recominant tpa
Aim to salvage the ischaemic penumbra (tissue surrounding the dead core, not yet but will die if left without treatment)
Contraindications for thrombolysis (4)
Haemmhorage (stroke or elsewhere)
Recent surgery
Known aneurysm
Stroke mimics (must rule these out first!)
What further investigations would you do if the stroke is ischaemic?
ECG +/- echo (AF/clot of cardiac origin?)
Carotid doppler U/S +/- CTA (internal carotid stenosis?)
What medications do you give in ED for stroke?
ASPIRIN 100mg
ACE inhibitor
Statin
+/-Warfarin/NOAC if in AF
Primary prevention of stroke (before any stroke has occurred)
- Reduce stroke risk factors
-weight loss (diet and exercise)
-smoking cessation
Statin (reduce cholesterol)
Good blood sugar control
ACE-inhibitior (BP control)
What is the CHADS2 score?
Stroke risk for people in AF:
- Congestive cardiac failure (1 point)
- HTN (1)
- Age (>75) (1)
- Diabetes (1)
- Prior TIA or stroke (2 points)
□ 0 = very low risk -> antiplatelet
□ 1 = 1 low risk -> anticoag or antiplatelet
□ >2 = mod-high risk -> anticoag
Secondary prevention of stroke (after stroke/TIA)
- Antiplatelet (Aspirin) is FIRST LINE
- BP lowering (ACEi, thiazide diuretics)
- Cholesterol: Statins
- If in AFIB: CHADS2 score to determine antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant
+/- Carotid revascularisation (endarterectomy and stenting if symptomatic and stenosis >70%)
MX of haemmhoragic stroke
Keep BP low (SBP 120-130
Control raised ICP
Admit to neurosurg -> may need craniotomy
What are the different types of brain bleeds?
Which is associated w old age and alcoholism?
Which with trauma?
Which with ruptured berry aneurysm?
Which with HTN?
Epidural -> trauma
Subdural -> old age, alcohol, anticoag
Subarachnoid -> ruptured berry aneurysm/AVM
Intracranial -> HTN (aneurysm/AVM to lesser degree)
Characteristic présentation of an epidural haematoma and CT finding
Lucid interval before altered conscioussness
Hyperdense lenticular (lemon shaped) mass limited by suture lines
Characteristic présentation of an subdural haematoma and CT finding
No lucid period
Altered consciousness
Pupil irregularities
Hemiparesis
Hyperdense concave crescentic (crescent moon shaped) mass
Crosses suture lines
How do intracranial bleeds present?
TIA like SX and signs of raised ICP
DDX for headache
Tension-type
Migraine
Cluster
Analgesic overuse
Encephalitis/meningitis SAH Subdural haemmhorage Giant cell arteritis Raised ICP Glaucoma Stroke/TIA Space occupying lesion - tumour of abscess Systemic disorders -thyroid, THN, pheochromocytoma
Clinical presentation of meningitis vs encephalitis
Meningitis: severe headache
+/- neck stiffness, photophobia, rash, fever, systemic illness
Encephalitis: confusion, drowsiness, altered LOC, focal neurological signs, seizures, headaches, signs of systemic illness and fever
Causes of meningitis - how do signs and treatment differ?
Acute Bacterial
+/- Altered mental state and focal neurological signs
- Strep pneumonia, neisseria meningiditis, listeria, meningococcus (commonly in teens)
- Needs antibiotics
Viral
- no altered conscious state or focal neurological signs
- benign except in cases of HSV, VZV
- Self-limiting within 1-2 weeks
Investigating suspected meningitis
Blood tests and blood culture
Empiracle dexamethasone and empiracle antibiotics before CT
CT followed by LP (ensures no increased ICP which is a CI for LP)
** probably can skip CT if they don’t have risk factors for incr ICP and go straight to LP
What is empiracle treatment for bacterial meningitis
Ceftriazone (covers S. pneumonia and N. miningiditis)
How does CSF content differ between acute bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis?
Appearance
WCC
Protein
Glucose
Bacterial
- Cloudy
- > 1000 WBC/microL
- > 95% PMN
- Protein >1g/L
- Glucose decr (used up)
Viral
- Clear
- <500 WBC/microL
- Mostly lymphocytes
- Protein 0.4-1g/L
- Glucose normal
Where does HSV encephalitis typically affect?
Temporal lobe
Causes of altered mental state + Fever
Encephalitis Meningitis Brain abscess Intracranial tumour or haemmhorage Seizures
MX of brain abscess
Drainage by neurosurgery
Prolonged antibiotics
Anticonvulsants
Follow up CT
Source of bacteria from brain abscess
Continuous (sinusitis, dental abscess, mastoiditis etc)
Haematogenous
Direct implantation (post-op, post LP etc)
How can sinusitis lead to headaches and sepsis?
Focus of inflammation is in the sphenoid sinus, with para-meningeal involvement, immediately adjacent to CSF space.
Inflammation has incr vascular permeability and polymorphs have leaked across into CSF space. Bacteria may also leak across into CSF and/or blood via this method, causing encephalitis and/or sepsis.
Social implications of eplilepsy
Lose license (impacts ability to work, socialise, ADLs etc)
Reduced libido, depression, anxiety
Limited relationships, friendships etc
Simple vs complex partial seizures
Partial - limited to one hemisphere or lobe.
Simple: awareness/consciousness not affected (they are awake and alert- often remember)
Complex: consciousness/awareness affected (may not remember
Focal vs generalised seizures (how do they begin, and what is the underlying cause)
Focal
- begins w focal features referral to part of one hemisphere (aura)
- often w underlying structural disease
General
- no aura, comes without warning
- electrical discharge throughout cortex bilaterally, not localising to one hemisphere
What are the subtypes of focal vs general seizures
Focal (partial)
- Simple partial
- complex partial/dyscognitive
- secondary generalised
General
- Generalised tonic clonic
- myoclonus
- Absence seizures (spaced out)
How does epilepsy differ from seizure?
Seizure: sudden hyper synchronous neural activity
Epilepsy: tendency to stereotypical, repeated spontaneous seizures (2 +)
DDX to first seizure presentation
Seizure
Syncope - awaken rapidly, no post-ictal period/confusion
TIA - sudden focal neurological deficit
Psychogenic/psedo seizure
- consciousness retained
- long duration of seizure
- respond to you
-substance use/withdrawal
Triggers of seizures
Alcohol
Lack of sleep
Antidepressants and anticonvulsants
MX of seizures
Don’t treat the first seizure - await recurrence UNLESS you see and epileptiform EEG or MRI lesion
Treatment:
- Terminate status epilepticus in ED w benzodiazepine (carbamazepine)
- Prophylaxis: benzo and phenytoin
- Surgery in some cases to remove cause (tumour etc)