Stroke Interventions Flashcards
Goals of assessment in emergency department/acute care
- Neurological signs: BE FAST (balance, eyesight, face, arm, speech, time)
- Determine type of stroke (ischemic vs hemorrhagic)
- Severity, prognosis, & D/C potentials: NIHSS helpful with determining severity (≥16 high probability of death/severe disability, ≤6 good recovery)
Describe assessment of orofacial deficits
- Facial asymmetry due to unilateral muscle weakness: drooped face/mouth, nasolabial fold, mouth closure, palpebral fissure, ask pt to close eyes/wrinkle forehead
- Inadequate lip closure: difficulty controlling saliva
- Dysphagia: difficulty swallowing/chewing/tongue movements
- Poor coordination b/w eating & breathing: risk aspiration, pneumonia, poor nutrition
- DDX of stroke vs facial palsy
Ways to help determine type of stroke syndrome
- Neuroimaging to help determine the where of stroke: MRI
- Other exams include HINTS
Assessment of stroke syndromes
- Neurological manifestations of stroke follow predictable clinical findings based on functional areas affected & cerebral vessel occluded/damaged
Clinical manifestations of MCA syndrome
- Supplies: primary motor & sensory cortices, Broca’s area, & Wernicke’s area
- Contralateral weakness UE and face
- Contralateral sensory loss UE and face
- Aphasia (L/dominant hemisphere): expressive, receptive, global
- Neglect (R/nondominant hemisphere)
- Superior occlusion = Broca’s
- Inferior occlusion = Wernicke’s
Clinical manifestations of ACA syndrome
- Supplies: primary motor & sensory (LE), supplementary motor, & prefrontal cortex
- Contralateral sensory loss LE
- Contralateral weakness LE
- Altered mental status: frontal lobe behavioral abnormalities
- Aphasia: speech preservation (Broca’s)
- Abulia: lack of drive/will power
Clinical manifestations of PCA syndrome
- Supplies: occipital lobe, inferior/lateral temporal lobe (hippocampus), diencephalon (thalamus & subthalamus), cerebral peduncles & midbrain
- Contralateral homonymous hemianopia
- Contralateral weakness
- Thalamic pain syndrome: abnormal sensations
- Disruption of anterior supply: apathy, amnesia
- Disruption of posterior supply: neglect, aphasia
- Visual agnosia, anomia
Clinical manifestations of Lacunar syndrome
- Affects: basal ganglia, internal capsule, thalamus, pons
- Pure contralateral weakness
- Pure contralateral sensory loss
- Parkinsonism
- Large majority are asymptomatic
Clinical manifestations of vertebrobasilar artery syndrome
- Supplies: corticospinal tracts, corticobulbar tracts, medial & superior cerebellar peduncles, spinothalamic tracts, & several cranial nerve nuclei
- Headache, D/N/V, nystagmus, diplopia, dysarthria, dysphagia
- Ipsilateral ataxia, hemiparesis, dysmetria
- Bilateral effects
- Locked in syndrome: total body paralysis while sparing eye movement/blinking, cognition & hearing intact, all sensation decreased
Clinical manifestations of superior cerebellar artery syndrome
- Supplies: superior cerebellar cortex, superior cerebellar peduncle, cerebellar nuclei, small portions of midbrain/pons
- Headache, D/N/V, nystagmus, diplopia, dysarthria
- Dysmetria
- Ipsilateral limb/gait ataxia
- Ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome
- Contralateral loss of touch/pain/temp
- Contralateral mild hemiparesis
Clinical manifestations of anterior inferior cerebellar artery
- Supplies: anterior inferior cerebellum, cerebellar nuclei, portions of the pons & medulla (CNs V/VII/VIII), vestibular & hearing organs in inner ear
- Lateral pontine syndrome
- D/N/V, nystagmus, diplopia, dysarthria, dysmetria
- Ipsilateral deafness
- Ipsilateral ataxia & loss of balance
- Ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome
- Ipsilateral loss of touch/pain/temp & weakness in face
- Contralateral loss of pain/temp & weakness in limbs
Clinical manifestations of posterior inferior cerebellar artery syndrome
- Supplies: posterior inferior cerebellar hemispheres, central nuclei of cerebellum & dorsolateral medulla (CNs V/VIII/IX/X)
- Lateral medullary syndrome/Wallenburg syndrome
- D/N/V, nystagmus, dysarthria, dysmetria
- Ipsilateral ataxia & loss of balance
- Ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome
- Dysphagia (CN IX/X)
- Hoarseness of voice (CN IX/X)
- Ipsilateral loss of touch/pain/temp of face (CN V)
- Contralateral loss of pain/temp on body
Clinical manifestations of spinal artery & vertebral arteries
- Supplies: medial medulla
- Medial medullary syndrome
- Contralateral paresis of UE & LE
- Contralateral loss of touch & proprioception
- Ipsilateral tongue deviation (hypoglossal nucleus)
Common set of signs/symptoms in posterior circulation strokes (Vertebro-basilar, SCA, AICA, PICA)
- Together known as acute vestibular syndrome
- D/N/V
- Vertigo
- Nystagmus lasting for days
Bedside HINTS exam to diagnose stroke versus peripheral vestibulopathy
- HINTS = Head Impulse test, Nystagmus, & Test of skew
- Stroke: Normal HIT, direction changing/vertical/purely torsional nystagmus, positive skew with cover/uncover test
- Peripheral vestibular problem: Abnormal HIT, direction fixed/horizontal nystagmus, negative skew with cover/uncover test
Describe the validity of HINTS
- Very good bedside exam in ED/Acute care
- Better than MRI for detecting stroke in the 1st 24-48hrs
- Pts mostly gets referred to PTs for this
- Use this for determining the need for further stroke work-up and/or further imaging or D/C to an OP clinic
Goals for vital management for ischemic stroke in ED/Acute care
- Administer r-tPA within 4.5hrs, after infusion keep BP less than 180/105mmHg
- Once neurologically stable keep BP 140/90mmHg
- MAP around 110mmHg
- ICP goal between 60-80mmHg
- Maintain O2 >94%
Goals for vital management for hemorrhagic stroke in ED/Acute care
- Maintain SBP <140mmHg
- Recommended to use anti-hypertensives is systolic >160-180mmHg and diastolic 105mmHg
Goals for therapy and contraindications against early mobilization
- Goals: monitor vitals, early mobilization (as indicated)
- Contraindications: not until 24hrs later, increased ICP, lower levels of consciousness (sedation), any unstable heart conditions
Recovery potential from stroke
- Varies based on location of injury, severity, extent of tissue damage, age, PLOF, comorbidities, acuity
-Most significant recovery occurs within first 3-6mo post stroke, slower recovery up to 2-3yrs - Pt’s who receive IPR show better recovery than those who don’t
- Ambulation capacity is a primary factor in determining D/C destination, gait speed in a reliable/valid measure of post stroke functional mobility
Sensory impairments seen during IPR stay (subacute stroke period = few days-few wks)
- Primary sensory loss
- Superficial, deep (proprioception), & higher cortical sensations affected
- Spatial perceptual deficits: causes problems with postural control
Motor impairments during subacute stroke
- Paresis with force production deficit: less motor unit recruitment, abnormal timing, torque too initiate & sustain functional movements
- Atrophy of some muscles
- Motor planning deficits: apraxia, speech planning deficit (non-fluent aphasia), mostly with L hemisphere involvement
Abnormal synergistic patterns of stroke
- UE synergistic postures: scapular ADD/depression, shoulder ADD/IR, elbow flexion, forearm supination/pronation, wrist/finger flexion
- LE synergistic postures: pelvic retraction, hip ADD/IR, knee extension, ankle PF/inversion, toe flexion