Terms Flashcards
Altered mental status
Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status
Aneurysm
A swelling, or enlargement of a part of an artery, resulting from weakening of the arterial wall
Aphasia
The inability to understand, and or produce speech
Atherosclerosis
A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium buildup inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow
Aura
A sensation experience before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur
Cerebrovascular accident CVA
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke
Coma
A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused
Delirium
It’s true change in mental status, characterized by disorganized, thoughts and attention memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and effect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness
Dysarthria
Slurred speech
Embolus
A blood clot, or other substance in the circulatory system, that travels to a blood vessel, where it causes a blockage of blood flow
Epilepsy
A disorder in which abnormal electrical discharges occur in the brain, causing seizures and possible loss of consciousness
Febrile seizures
Seizures that result from sudden high fevers; most often seen in children
Focal seizures
A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain
Generalized seizure
Is seizure characterized by severe twitching of all the bodies muscles that may last several minutes or more; formally known as a grand mal seizure
Hemiparesis
Weakness on one side of the body
Hemorrhagic stroke
What type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain
Hyperglycemia
An abnormally high blood glucose level
Hypoglycemia
And abnormally low blood glucose level
Incontinence
Loss of bowel and or bladder control; may be the result of a generalized seizure
Ischemia
A lack of oxygen that deprive tissues of necessary, nutrients resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible, because permanent injury has not yet occurred
Ischemic stroke
The type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage (blood clot) inside a blood vessel
Postictal state
The period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 30 minutes; characterized by labored, respirations and some degree of altered mental status
Seizure
A neurologic episode caused by a surge of electrical activity in the brain; can be a convulsion characterized by generalized uncoordinated muscular activity, and can be associated with loss of consciousness
Status epilepticus
A condition in which seizures occur every few minutes or last longer than 30 minutes
Stroke
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that result in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebral vascular accident CVA
Syncope
Fainting spell or transient loss subconsciousness
Thrombosis
A blood clot, either in the arterial or venous system. When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, it may result in the interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke
Transient ischemic attack TIA
A disorder of the brain, in which brain cells temporarily stopped functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing stroke like symptoms that result completely within 24 hours of onset
