stroke Flashcards
define stroke
clinical syndrome of presumed vascular origin characterised by rapidly developing signs of focal or global disturbance of cerebral functions which lasts longer than 24h or leads to death
define TIA
transient (less than 24h) neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord or retinal ischaemia, without evidence of acute infarction
complications of stroke include
- neurological problems
- depression
- anxiety
- communication difficulties
- difficulties with activities of daily living
once a person has had a stroke or TIA, they are at high risk of…
further vascular event(s)
main differences between stroke and TIA
- TIA is caused by a temporary disruption in blood supply to the brain
- TIA does not last as long as a stroke, the effects last a few minutes to a few hours and fully resolve within 24h
when to suspect TIA
- pt presents with sudden onset focal neurological deficit which has completely resolved within 24h onset
- most are thought to resolve within 1 hour, but can persist for up to 24h
focal neurological deficits in TIA may include
- unilateral weakness or sensory loss
- dysphasia
- ataxia, vertigo, loss of balance
- syncope
- sudden transient loss of vision in one eye, diplopia (double vision), homonymous hemianopsia (loss of vision in the same halves of both eye)
- cranial nerve defects - pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, paralysis of face including eyes
when to suspect stroke
- pt presents with sudden onset focal neurological deficits which are ongoing or have persisted for >24h and cannot be explained by other conditions e.g. hypoglycaemia
clinical features of stroke vary depending on…
causative mechanism and area of brain affected
list some clinical features of stroke
- confused, altered consciousness, coma
- unilateral weakness or paralysis in face, arm or leg
- sensory less - paraesthesia or numbness
- ataxia
- dysphasia
- visual disturbances
- gaze paresis, often hroiznonal and unidriectionla
- photophobia
- dizziness, vertiamo loss of balance
- specific cranial nerve deficits
- difficulty with fine motor coordination and gait
- neck or facial pain
describe a headache in different types of stoke
- intracranial haemorrhage: usually insidious in onset and gradually increasing intensity
- subarachnoid haemorrhage: sudden severe headache which may be associated with neck stiffness
- sentinel headaches may occur in preceding weeks
what is gaze paresis
inability to move both eyes together in a single horizontal (most common) or vertical direction
what is diplopia
double vision
isolated dizziness is usually a symptom of TIA - true or false
false
state some specific cranial nerve deficits in stroke
- unilateral tongue weakness
- Horner’s syndrome e.g. miosis (small pupils), drooping eyelid, decreased sweating on affected side of face (anhidrosis)
Posterior circulation stroke diagnosis
- can be difficult to diagnose
- suspect if pt presents with symptoms of acute vestibular syndrome (acute, persistent continuous vertigo or dizziness with nystagmus, n/v, head motion intolerance and new gait unsteadiness)