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C2 Modules CLINICAL > stroke - clinical aspects > Flashcards

stroke - clinical aspects Flashcards

1
Q

What happens every 2 seconds?

A

Someone in the world will have stroke

One every 5 minutes in the UK alone

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2
Q

What is stroke?

A

A major cause of disability in survivors
The commonest neurological problem in the UK
A clinical syndrome, not a full diagnosis

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3
Q

What are over 50% of all stroke survivors?

A

Dependent

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4
Q

What is the largest cause of complex disability in adult?

A

Stroke

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5
Q

What are the approximate percentages after stroke?

A
  1. 14% have moderate disability
  2. 10% have severe disability
  3. 12% have very severe disability
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6
Q

What is stroke becoming?

A

More common

Ageing population

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7
Q

What is the cost to economy/year for stroke?

A

~ £7 billion

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8
Q

What is the definition of stroke?

A

Acute focal neurological deficit resulting from vascular disease lasting over 24 hours

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9
Q

What is Transient Ischaemic attack (TIA)?

A

Acute focal neurological deficit resulting from vascular disease lasting less than 24 hours

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10
Q

What is definition of brain attack?

A

Acute focal neurological deficit likely to be the result of vascular disease

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11
Q

What will not all brain attacks turn out to be?

A
  1. Stroke

2. TIA

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12
Q

What is the outdated term for stroke?

A

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

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13
Q

What are the symptoms suggestive of stroke?

A
  1. Sudden (maximal at onset or within seconds to minutes)
  2. Focal, not generalised (collapse and LOC, ‘‘dizziness’’ are not suggestive of stroke)
  3. Negative symptoms (loss of function)
  4. Presence of vascular risk factors: age, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, other vascular disease, family history
    positive symptom: hearing problems, visual domain: migraine with aura, tremor, jerking
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14
Q

What are the red flags of stroke?

A
  1. No clear onset history
  2. No risk factors
  3. No imaging abnormality
  4. Young age
  5. Seizures
  6. Unusual headache
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15
Q

What are the 3 questions that a neurologist needs to know to make a full diagnosis?

A
  1. Where is the lesion? anatomy
  2. What is the pathology? pathology
  3. Why has it happened? mechanism/risk factors
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16
Q

What is the value of a full stroke diagnosis?

A
  1. Explanation to patient and carer
  2. Guides further investigation (e.g. carotid vs vertebrobasilar circulation)
  3. Prevention of recurrence
  4. Prognosis
  5. Effective treatment can be targeted
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17
Q

What are used for acute stroke?

A
  1. Aspirin
  2. Thrombolysis
  3. Stroke unit care benefits
  4. Carotid endarterectomy
  5. Lower blood pressure in cerebral haemorrhage
  6. Thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke
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18
Q

What does making an accurate diagnosis in stroke require?

A
  1. Detailed history and examination
  2. Appropriate test including brain imaging
  3. Tests to identify the mechanism (extracranial vessels, heart, blood tests, etc)
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19
Q

Which part of the brain is affected in stroke?

A
  1. cortical or subcortical (lacunar)
  2. Left or right
  3. Anterior (carotid) or posterior (vertebrobasilar)
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20
Q

What is the benefit of localizing the stroke?

A
  1. confirms diagnosis
  2. Guides brain and vessel imaging
  3. Guides likely cause and tests needed
  4. Guides prognosis
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21
Q

What are the basic anatomy for stroke?

A
  1. Basic vascular supply
  2. Motor system: cortical vs subcortical
  3. Basic brainstem anatomy
  4. Basic hemisphere localization of function
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22
Q

What are the divisions of cerebral circulation?

A
  1. MCA
  2. ACA
  3. PCA
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23
Q

What does MCA supply?

A

Lateral hemisphere convexity and underlying cortex/ some of white matter

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24
Q

What does the PCA supply?

A

Medial temporal lobe, occipital and parietal lobes

25
What is ACA limited to?
Territory on lateral convexity
26
What gives rise to MCA?
Carotid supply
27
What gives rise to bilateral posterior cerebral arteries?
2 vertebral artery
28
What perforators go up to the basal ganglia?
Lenticulostriate
29
in the motor system what is medial within the frontal lobe?
Leg area | supplied by anterior cerebral arteries
30
What comes down in corona radiata of white matter?
Different motor area giving rise to fibres
31
What will cause extensive motor deficit?
Fibres that are closely packed in the sub cortical region
32
What crosses in the medulla?
The corticospinal tract
33
What are uncrossed (ipsilateral)?
Cerebellar deficits
34
What localizes to the brainstem?
Cranial nerve deficits with crossed long tract signs
35
What are the characteristics of total middle cerebral artery territory infarction?
1. Hemiparesis 2. Drowsy 3. Hemisensory loss 4. Cortical signs - Visual field loss - Inattention - Neglect
36
What are the characteristics of small deep lacunar infarct (subcortical stroke)?
1. Hemiparesis (face, arm and leg) | 2. Normal conscious level and no cortical signs
37
How are lacunes usually defined as?
<1.5cm
38
What does visual field loss involve?
Optic radiation
39
What are the characteristic of ischaemic stroke: lower brainstem infarct (DWI)?
1. Right tongue weakness (XII) 2. Mild left hemiparesis 3. Left sided sensory loss 4. No cortical signs
40
What are 80% of stroke due to?
Blockage = ischaemia (loss of blood flow)
41
What are 20% of stroke due to?
Bleeding within the brain or subarachnoid space
42
What is an episode of acute neurological dysfunction presumed to be caused by?
Ischaemia or haemorrhage persisting greater or equal to 24 hours or until death
43
What is the pathological type of stroke?
1. Cerebral infarction (ischaemic stroke) - 80% 2. Primary intracerebral haemorrhage 15% 3. Subarachnoid haemorrhage 5%
44
Why is brain imaging important in stroke?
1. Stroke is a syndrome not a full diagnosis 2. Excludes stroke mimics 3. Imaging excludes haemorrhage (esp CT) 4. Clarify the mechanism of stroke syndrome 5. Guide further investigation including vascular imaging
45
What are risk factors for stroke?
1. Hypertension 2. Diabetes 3. Alcohol 4. Smoking 5. Obesity 6. Lipid Profile 7. Haematological 8. Others
46
What are the mechanisms of stroke?
``` • Large artery-to-artery embolism • Small vessel occlusion or rupture • Macrovascular rupture • Cardiac embolism • Haemodynamic • Other ```
47
What are the main causes of ischaemic stroke?
1. Embolism | 2. In situ thrombosis
48
Where do embolism come from?
1. From the heart (Artrial fibrillation. valvular heart disease, myocardial infarction) 2. From the extracranial carotid or vertebrobasilar vessels (atheroma, dissection)
49
Where do in-situ thrombosis come from?
1. Small perforating vessel occlusion (lacunar) 2. Large vessel occlusion 3. Venous occlusion
50
What are examples of Embolism
1. Thrombus 2. Atheromatous material 3. Vegetations
51
What are rare causes of ischaemic stroke?
``` Dissection • Vasculitis & SLE • Drug induced • Migraine • Meningitis • Endocarditis • Paradoxical embolism • Atrial myxoma • Haemodynamic stroke ```
52
What are the symptoms of acute intracerebral haemorrhage?
Bright on CT 1. Drowsiness 2. Headache 3. Hypertension
53
What cannot be reliably distinguished from infarct without a scan?
Bleed
54
What are the importance of intracerebral haemorrhage?
``` About 10-20% of all strokes worldwide1 • Median 1 month case fatality 40%2 • 60%-90% of survivors are dependent2 • Case fatality not improved 1980-20062 • Incidence persists in elderly populations3 • Few effective treatments • Similar or greater effect on disability (DALYs) to ischaemic stroke ```
55
What are the rare causes of intracerebral haemorrhage?
``` Cerebral vasculitis • Cerebral venous thrombosis • Drug abuse – Cocaine – Amphetamine • Cerebral tumours ```
56
What are the treatment of acute stroke?
1. Drug therapy - Thrombolysis in selected patients within 3 hours - Aspirin for ischaemic stroke (48 hours) 2. Stroke unit care - Maintaining normal physiology - Preventing and treating complications - Rehabiliatation 3. Prevention of recurrence
57
Time is brain
``` Rapid neurological examination Immediate CT scan IV access and send bloods (including INR) Consider thrombolysis ```
58
What is the only licensed treatment for acute ischaemic stroke?
1. Alteplase (rtPA) Improves chances of a good functional recovery if given within 4.5 hours
59
What are the limitations of IV thrombolysis alone?
Narrow therapeutic time window • Contraindications such as recent surgery, coagulation abnormalities, and a history of intracranial hemorrhage

C2 Modules CLINICAL (26 decks)

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