Stroke Flashcards
Who has higher incidence for stroke
atherosclerosis, diabetes, HTN, obesity American Indians Alaskan Natives First degree relative Southeastern United States (40% higher mortality rate) Relative who had stroke
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain
- precursor for something very bad that is going to occur
- go away anywhere from 30 mins to 24 hours
- may be able to see on the scan
- need to intervene before it comes a serious issue
transient Ischemic Attack
Visual deficits
Blurred or double vision
Blindness or tunnel vision
Change in visual field
Transient Ischemic Attack
motor deficits
Weakness and ataxia
Gait changes
Cant move an extremity
Transient Ischemic Attack
Speech deficits
Aphasias or dysarthrias(slurred speech)
Difficulty speaking
Transient Ischemic Attack
Sensory perception deficits
Numbness and vertigo
Paralysis
Neurological Assessment
Level of consciousness
Impaired cognition
Impaired sensory
NIH Stroke Scale
Glasgow Coma Scale
Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA)
Interruption of normal blood supply (o2 and nutrients) to brain tissue.
- medical emergency
- causes ischemia: the tissue dies
- brain doesn’t have glucose or energy stored to supply the brain if a loss of blood supply occurred, also needs to release the waste from the brain by releasing it through the veins, so this is why when blood flow is cut off for over a few mins, cerebral tissue is dying
- need to do something immediately to stop the blockage to the brain
FAST recognition of stroke
Face-are both sides equal? is the smile smile equal?
Arms-can the clients raise both arms equally?
Speech-is speech slurred? can the client make a sentence?
Time-get help now, there is a small window of opportunity
Modifiable risk factors
Lifestyle changes weight management diet exercise alcohol use smoking obesity
nonmodifiable risk factors
Age(after age 55, risk doubles each 10 years)
family history
ethnicity
history of previous stroke
Thrombotic Strokes
onset, duration
- Onset: caused by a thrombus, little over half the strokes that occur, it is usually a gradual progression, symptoms occur slowly over time
- Duration: improvements over weeks to months; permanent deficits possible
Contributing factors to thrombotic strokes
Contributing factors: atherosclerosis in a blood vessel within the brain, usually carotid, fatty plaque slowly develops, it may rupture, and then the body will send cells and fluid to try to fix the rupture and it will occlude the blood vessel
Embolic Strokes onset and duration
Onset: very sudden
Duration: rapid improvements
Embolic Strokes-Contributing factors
Contributing factors: clots that travel from somewhere else, cardiac issues, HA, a fib, emboli are then traveling to the arteries in the brain
Hemorrhagic Strokes-onset, prodromal symptoms, neurological deficits
Onset: could occur very rapidly
Prodromal symptoms: edema, irritation to tissues,
Neurological deficits: intracranial pressure, HA, sudden deficit