Stroke Flashcards
Ischemia stroke
Inadequate blood flow to a part of the brain
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) “brain attack”
Communicated the urgency of recognizing the warning signs of a stroke and treating it as a MEDICAL EMERGENCY
Hemiparesis
Partial paralysis on one side, inability to walk, complete or partial dependence for ADLs
Aphasia
Dysfunction in communication
Common long-term disabilities of a stroke
Hemiparesis, inability to walk, complete or partial dependence for ADLs, aphasia and depression
FAST warning signs
F: Face drooping
A: Arm weakness
S: Speech difficulties
T: Time
Additional symptoms to report for stroke
Confusion
Numbness or weakness, especially on 1 side
Severe headache with no known cause
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Nonmodifiable risk factors for stroke:
Age
Gender
Ethnicity or race
Family history or heredity
Modifiable risk factors for stroke:
Lifestyle changes
Medical treatments
Hypertension
Heart disease (A-fib, MI, Cardiomyopathy, Cardiac valve abnormalities, and Congenital heart defects)
Diabetes
Smoking
Obesity (Hypertension, High blood glucose, and Increased blood lipid levels)
Sleep apnea
Metabolic syndrome
Lack of physical exercise
Poor diet
Drug and alcohol use (amount consumed)
Birth control pills
Women who have aura migraines
Inflammatory conditions (Rheumatoid arthritis, Sickle cell disease, Blood clotting disorders (V Leiden mutation))
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Lasting less <1 hour, transient episode of neurologic dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord, or retinal ischemia, but without acute infarction of the brain
Carotid system involvement may have:
Amaurosis fugax (Temporary loss of vision in 1 eye)
Transient hemiparesis
Numbness or loss of sensation
Sudden inability to speak
Vertebrobasilar system involvement may have:
Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears)
Vertigo
Darkened or blurred vision
Diplopia (Double vision)
Ptosis (Drooping/sagging of upper eyelid)
Dysarthria (Difficulty speaking clearly or intelligibly)
Dysphagia (Swallowing difficulty)
Ataxia (Involuntary, uncoordinated movements)
Unilateral or bilateral numbness or weakness
TIA is considered a MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Why?
It can lead to an ischemic stroke.
Ischemic stroke
Results from inadequate blood flow to the brain from partial or complete occlusion of an artery
Thrombotic stroke
Occurs from injury to a blood vessel wall and formation of a blood clot
Embolic stroke
Occurs when an embolus lodges in and occludes a cerebral artery, resulting in infarction and edema of the area supplied by the involved vessel
Hemorrhage stroke
Bleeding into the brain that results in the death of brain cells
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Bleeding within the brain caused by a rupture of a blood vessel (usually the basal ganglia)
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)
Occurs when there is intracranial bleeding into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled space between the arachnoid and pia mater membranes on the surface of the brain
SAH is often caused by?
Often caused by rupture of a cerebral aneurysm (congenital or acquired weakness and ballooning of vessels)
Circle of Willis:
Anterior communicating artery
Anterior cerebral artery
Internal carotid artery
Middle cerebral artery
Posterior communication artery
Posterior cerebral artery
