Test 4: Neuro, Onc and Endocrine Flashcards
What type of meningitis is more severe, and what causes it?
Bacterial-Neisseria meningitidis which causes meningococcal meningitis
What are the causes of viral meningitis?
Mumps
Measles
Herpes
Arboviruses
How is viral meningitis prevented?
MMR Vaccine
What is the vaccine schedule for MMR vaccination?
1st vaccine at 12-15 months and 2nd at 4-6 years of age
How can bacterial meningitis be prevented?
Hib vaccine given at 2 months, 4 months, (6 months) and 12 to 15 months of age
What is the hallmark symptom of bacterial meningitis?
Excruciating constant headache
What are the subjective signs of bacterial meningitis?
Excruciating, constant headache (HALLMARK)
Nuchal Rigidity (stiff neck)
Photophobia
Altered mental status (patient is deteriorating)
What are the objective symptoms of bacterial meningitis?
Pallor, cold extremities with high fever, signs of shock (early s/s)
Fever, Chills
N/V
Stomach/joint/muscle pain
LOC (confusion, disorientation, lethargy, difficulty swallowing, coma)
+ Kernig’s Sign
+ Brudzinski’s Sign
May not be very obvious due to nucal rigidity
Hyperactive deep tendon reflexes
Tachycardia
Tachypnea
Seizures
Red Macular Rash
Restlessness, irritability
What are Kernigs and Brudzinki’s signs?
Kernig’s: Knee cannot fully extend when patient is supine and hip is flexed 90 degrees
Brudzinki’s Neck sign: passive flexion of the neck causes flexion of both legs and thighs
What is the ‘glass test’ in regards to meningitis?
Macular red rash from meningitis will not blanche when glass is pressed against it
Meningitis, when exhibited in older adults, immunocompromised patients, or patients on antibiotics may not exhibit what symptom?
A fever
What labs should you collect on a patient with meningitis?
Urine
Throat
Nose
Blood Culture and Sensitivity
**Basically you are trying to identify the possible infectious bacteria asap to be able to administer antibiotic
What is the most definitive diagnostics for meningitis?
A lumber puncture for CSF analysis
What is the alternative diagnostic measure if there is a delay in a lumbar puncture?
Blood Culture and Sensitivity
What is a lumbar puncture for CSF analyzed for?
Cell Count
Differential Cell Count
Glucose concentrations
Culture/sensitivity/gram stain
How many tubes of CSF will be collected during the lumbar puncture?
3-5
If the meningitis is bacterial, what results will we see on a CSF?
Cloudy
Increased protein, WBC, CSF Pressure
Decreased glucose
If the meningitis is viral, what results will we see on a CSF?
Clear
Increased protein, CSF Pressure
Normal Glucose
Inability to move the eyes to the left (6th cranial nerve defect) can indicate?
The development of hydrocephalus
In older patients with meningitis, what should you also monitor for?
Pneumonia
Meningitis Medications:
Antibiotic:
Ceftriaxone or Cefotaxime
Meningitis Medications:
Anticonvulsant:
Phenytoin
Meningitis Medications:
Antipyretic:
Acetaminophen
Meningitis Medications:
Analgesic:
Non-opioid because you do not want to alter mental status
What is a normal ICP pressure?
5-15mmHg
A hallmark of a transient ischemic attack is that if there are any deficits/symptoms, they typically resolve within?
24 hours
What are the causes of a hemorrhagic stroke?
HTN
Aneurysm
AV malformation
head injury
subarachnoid hemorrhage
What are the three causes of ischemic strokes?
Thrombotic
Embolic
Infarct and pneumbra
What is the difference between an embolic cause and a thrombotic cause of an ischemic stroke?
Thrombotic: atherosclerotic plaque in cerebral artery
Embolic: Embolus travels from a distant location to the cerebral artery
The most common reason for an embolic cause of ischemic stroke is?
A-Fib
What is the goal of stroke management?
To save the ischemic penumbra before it becomes an infarction
What are the risk factors for ischemic stroke?
A-Fib
Smoking
Oral Contraceptives
HTN
Sleep Apnea
Carotid Stenosis
Hyperlipidemia
Substance/cocaine use
Obesity
A Snake Originally Had Super Creepy Old Slimy Hands
What is the most common cause of a hemorrhagic stroke?
HTN/cocaine use
Cranial Nerves:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1) Olfactory (Smell)
2) Optic
3) Oculomotor (Ability to move or blink)
4) Trochlear (ability to move eyes up/down and back and forth
5) Trigeminal (sensation in face/cheeks, taste)
6) Abducens (ability to move your eyes)
7) Facial Nerve (facial expressions and taste)
8) Auditory/vestibular (Sense of hearing/balance)
9) Glossopharyngeal nerve (Ability to taste and swallow)
10) Vagus nerve (Digestion and heart rate)
11) Accessory nerve (or spinal accessory nerve (
Shoulder and neck muscle movement)
12) Hypoglossal nerve: Ability to move your tongue.
Only Owls Often Taste Tacos And Fresh Guacamole Very Aloofly, Huh?
What is the treatment for ischemic stroke?
Initiate ASA or antiplatelet to prevent stroke
-DAT (dual antiplatelet therapy-aspirin and clopidogrel)
Txt Between 3 and 4.5 hours from onset of symptoms
Control of blood glucose
Decrease HTN (MAP goals)
Control of lipids
In cerebral autoregulation, hypoxia and hypercapnia cause?
Vasodilation
In cerebral autoregulation, hypocapnia causes?
Vasoconstriction
What is the formula for cerebral perfusion pressure?
CPP=MAP-ICP
What is a normal cerebral perfusion pressure?
Normal CPP: 60-80 mmHg
What MAP do we want to see to insure cerebral perfusion?
MAP > 60 mmHg to maintain perfusion
Normal is between 70 and 110
What are the common s/sx of a stroke?
Common s/s include:
Facial weakness, droop, or numbness
Arm/leg weakness, drift, or numbness
Slurred speech confusion , or trouble
understanding others
Sudden change in vision
Dizziness, trouble walking, loss or balance or coordination
Sudden severe HA with no known cause (hemorrhagic; worst headache ever)
How is the NIH Stroke scale scored?
Range of 0 (no deficits) to 42 (significant deficits)
Lower the number the better the outcome
< 4 = highly likely to have good clinical outcomes (minor stroke)
21-42 = severe stroke
A rapid bedside assessment for a stroke includes?
Cognitive changes (LOC and commands)
Drift of eyes in direction of stroke
Motor Changes (facial palsy, arm and leg drift, ataxia via heel-shin)
Sensory changes (Numbness, tingling)
Language/aphasia/Dysarthria
Neglect (Innattention)
Cats Literally Don’t Make Sense Normally
What is Dysarthria?
Tongue, mouth and lips no longer functional to produce speech
Impaired articulation, slurred speech
What is hemianopia?
Hemianopia– loss of vision in either R or L sides of both eyes
Ensure to ask patient’s to read or ask what they see
What is agnosia?
Agnosia– loss of ability to recognize objects, persons, sounds, shapes
What is apraxia?
Apraxia– unable to perform tasks or movements when asked (command understood)
What is hemiparesis?
Hemiparesis– weakness on one side of body
What is hemiplegia?
Hemiplegia– total paralysis of one side of body (arm, trunk, leg)
What is Broca’s aphasia?
Expressive (Broca’s)– comprehension, but unable to express thoughts coherently
They know it’s cup but they can’t say its a cup
What is Wenicke’s aphasia?
Receptive (Wernicke’s)– inability to understand spoke or written language
Right-sided or frontal lobe strokes may exhibit what types of symptoms?
Impulsivity, impaired judgment, impaired attention span
(Might get out of bed when told not to, or drink out of the urinal)
What labs should you run for a stroke patient?
CBC
BMP
Platelets
PT/INR, aPTT
Glucose (to rule out hypoglycemia)
What are the different types of diagnostics for strokes?
CT without contrast***
MRI (Superior to CT for ischemic lesions within first 24 hours)
Carotid Duplex/Vascular Study
Cerebral angiogram
Lumbar Puncture
Myelogram
*You need to determine whether the suspected stroke is not hemorrhagic in nature, Add contrast AFTER without
If a stroke patient suddenly has an increase in blood pressure, what is the nursing priority?
Notify the provider
If BP>185mmHg call Rapid Response
To what O2 saturation should you keep a stroke patient above?
94%
If one side of a stroke patient is affected, what are the nursing actions?
Dress affected side first
Do not use affected arm for BP readings, to move up in bed, etc.
What are the preventative medications for strokes?
Ischemic:
Hemorrhagic:
Ischemic: antiplatelets (ASA, clopidogrel)
Hemorrhagic: HTN management
What are the medications for acute ischemic stroke treatment?
Fibrinolytic therapy: tPA (tissue plasminogen activator)
Newer: Tenecteplase TNK (recombinant fibrinolytic agent)
Anticoagulants: Heparin, warfarin
Anticonvulsants: Phenytoin
Meds to ↓ ICP: Mannitol, loop diuretics
How is tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) administered?
What about TNK?
tPA: given within 3-4.5 hours of onset of symptoms
Bolused and given over 60 minutes; weight-based
TNK: Given as a one-time bolus; weight-based
What type of stroke should tPA NOT be used?
Hemorrhagic
What levels do we want to see prealbumin at for stroke patients?
Prealbumin 16-30 mg/dL
What does FAST stand for?
Rapid recognition and response to early warning signs (FAST)
Facial droop, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time is critical
What is the negative feedback loop for thyroid hormones?
Hypothalamus signals anterior pituitary to release TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) which then stimulates the thyroid to produce T3 and T4. T4 is then converted to T3 in the peripheral tissue. If too much T3, the hypothalamus is signaled to stop sending messages to the anterior pituitary.
What is Thyrocalcitonin?
Inhibits calcium reabsorption from bone
What are the normal levels of thyroid stimulating hormone?
~4 (0.5 to 5.0 mIU/L)
What is the difference between a primary and secondary alterations in the thyroid hormone system?
Primary Alterations: Disease of thyroid
Secondary: Disease of Pituitary
What types of medication can cause hypothyroidism?
Lithium
Amiodarone
Sulfonylureas
What are the laboratory trends for hypothyroidism?
↑ TSH (primary)
↓ or normal TSH (secondary)
↓ T3- Triiodothyronine
↓ T4- Thyroxine
What would be the results of a thyroid scan– radioisotope uptake?
Determines whether or not the thyroid is working
Uptake will be low in hypo and high in hyperthyroid
Serum Cholesterol levels will be high in what type of thyroid disorder?
Hypothyroidism because they are not able to use fatty acids properly
Patients with hypothyroidism will have to do what for the rest of their lives?
Lifelong thyroid hormone replacement– T4
Normally in form of Levothyroxine
What is the hallmark disease for hypothyroidism?
Hashimotos
How long will it take levothyroxine to reach therapeutic levels?
Will take approx. 4 weeks to achieve steady state blood level of medication
What is the hallmark disease for hyperthyroidism?
Grave’s disease