Stroke Flashcards
What is a stroke?
cerebrovascular accident- the rapid loss of brain function due to a disturbance in blood supply, lasting more than 24 hours.
What is an ischaemic stroke?
due to a blockage
embolism: obstruction of a blood vessel due to a blood clot somewhere else in the body
thrombosis: obstruction of a blood vessel due to a blood clot formed locally
What is a haemorrhage?
bleeding from one of the cerebral arteries or a ruptured blood vessel
Intracerebral haemorrhage
arterial walls weaken
microaneurysms develop which rupture and bleed
blood leaks directly into the brain tissue, building up a haematoma
Subarachnoid haemorrhage
bleeding into the subarachnoid space
due to a rupture of an aneurysm
What is thrombolysis
clot busting drug so that the clot disperses the clot and returns the blood supply to your brain.
How long after a stroke can thrombolysis be used?
For most people thrombolysis needs to be given within four and a half hours of your stroke symptoms starting. the more time that passes, the less effective thrombolysis will be.
thrombosis
A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vein
Embolism
anything that travels through the blood vessels until it reaches a vessel that is too small to let it pass.
What is an infarct?
area of necrotic tissue in the brain resulting from a blockage or narrowing in the arteries supplying blood and oxygen to the brain.