Terms

Question 1

Altered mental status

Answer 1

Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status

Question 2

Aneurysm

Answer 2

A swelling, or enlargement of a part of an artery, resulting from weakening of the arterial wall

Question 3

Aphasia

Answer 3

The inability to understand, and or produce speech

Question 4

Atherosclerosis

Answer 4

A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium buildup inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow

Question 5

Aura

Answer 5

A sensation experience before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur

Question 6

Cerebrovascular accident CVA

Answer 6

An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke

Question 7

Coma

Answer 7

A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused

Question 8

Delirium

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Dysarthria

Answer 9

Slurred speech

Question 10

Embolus

Answer 10

A blood clot, or other substance in the circulatory system, that travels to a blood vessel, where it causes a blockage of blood flow

Question 11

Epilepsy

Answer 11

A disorder in which abnormal electrical discharges occur in the brain, causing seizures and possible loss of consciousness

Question 12

Febrile seizures

Answer 12

Seizures that result from sudden high fevers; most often seen in children

Question 13

Focal seizures

Answer 13

A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain

Question 14

Generalized seizure

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Hemiparesis

Answer 15

Weakness on one side of the body

Question 16

Hemorrhagic stroke

Answer 16

What type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain

Question 17

Hyperglycemia

Answer 17

An abnormally high blood glucose level

Question 18

Hypoglycemia

Answer 18

And abnormally low blood glucose level

Question 19

Incontinence

Answer 19

Loss of bowel and or bladder control; may be the result of a generalized seizure

Question 20

Ischemia

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Ischemic stroke

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Postictal state

Answer 22

The period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 30 minutes; characterized by labored, respirations and some degree of altered mental status

Question 23

Seizure

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Status epilepticus

Answer 24

A condition in which seizures occur every few minutes or last longer than 30 minutes

Question 25

Stroke

Answer 25

An interruption of blood flow to the brain that result in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebral vascular accident CVA

Question 26

Syncope

Answer 26

Fainting spell or transient loss subconsciousness

Question 27

Thrombosis

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Transient ischemic attack TIA

Answer 28

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