UNIT 4 NEURO Flashcards
What famiy hx would be important when doing a neuro assessment?
Family hx of…
1. Intellectual & developmental disability
2. Deaf/blind
3. Epilepsy
4. Stroke
What health hx would be important to gather during your neuro assessment?
list 5.
- Injury w/loss of consciousness
- Febrile illness
- Encounter with animal or insect (rabies, Mosquitos)
- Ingestion of neurotoxic substance (tiki torch fluid)
- Past illness (Time Frame important esp. after having a viral infection)
During our physical exam portion of a neuro exam what features/structures are we looking at or observing for?
- Size/shape of head
- Awake & alert vs. drowsy/lethargic
- Activity
- (spontanous or only responsive to certain stimuli)
- Tone
- Hypertonic vs. hypotonic
- Symmetry
- Movements equal and bil?
- Facial features
- Can clue us into different syndromes
- High-pitched cry “Neuro cry”
- Respiratory Pattern
- Periods of apnea? or hyperventilation?
- Muscular activity/coordination
- Twiching or ticks? Unusal movements?
- Reflexes/strength
What is our earliest indicator of improvment/deterioration?
Level of consciousness
True or false: It important in neuro to know what the patients “baseline” is?
true
What are the purpose of coma scales?
- quick, practical, standardized system to assess LOC
True or false: Assessing impairment in infants and very young children is no harder than assessing an adult patient. Just more time consuming?
False. It can be very problematic to assess infants and very young children.
There are pedicatric coma scales for ages 2 and younger for this reason
When reassessing the neuro status at the end of a shift a good practice is to…
Grab the TPCN taking over and do together so that there is consistency and agreement when transferring care
Who can we utilize when using a pediactric coma scale when we suspect the child may be acting different due to unfamiliarity of the situation?
Parents– family at bedside can be very helpful in determining if a seen behavior is a patients baseline before or not
What is the most commonly used coma scale?
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
What 3 parts does the GCS examine?
- Eye opening
- Verbal response
- Motor
Uses best response
What makes a pediatric coma scale different than an adults coma scale?
The pediatric coma scale takes in consideration the different motor and verbal responses
How is the GCS graded?
Number scale
Highest grade is a 15 and lowest is a 3.
A GCS score of 8 or less is typically accepted as…
Coma
A GCS of 3 would indicate….
Lowest score: Deep coma/Death
If its under 8 we….
Intubate
Just review: Eye opening responses for all ages on the GCS… how are the scored
4: Spontanous
3: Too speech
2: To pain/pressure
1: None
Just review
Verbal responses using the GCS are graded how for child/adult?
5: Oriented
4: Confused
3: Inappropriate words
2: Incomprehensible
1: None
T: Endotracheal tube or trach
Just review
Verbal responses on the GCS are graded how for children less than 2 years old?
Biggest take away: Are they doing things developmentally appropriate for their age?
5: Coo’s, babbles, smiles
4: Irritable cry, consolable
3: Inappropriate crying/screaming
2: Moans/grunts
1: None
Just review
Motor responses on the GCS are graded how for child/adults?
6: Obeys commands
5: Localizes pain
4: Flexion withdrawl
3: Flexion abnormal
2:extension abnormal
1: None
Just review
Motor responses on the GCS are graded how for children less than 2 years old?
6: Spontaneous/purposeful
5: Withdrawls to touch
4: Withdraws to pain
3: Flexion abnormal
2: Extension abnormal
1: None
When assessing pupils what are we looking for?
- Size using the pupil scale 1-8mm or a pupillometer
- Reaction… noting if
- brisk
- sluggish
- no reaction
- eyes closed by swelling
If pupils are fixed and dilated for longer than 5 mins this could inidcate….
brain stem damage which is an emergency situation
Certain medication like…._____ can cause pinpoint pupils…
Barbiturate poisioning
What could cause pin point pupils?
- Certain medications
- Heavily sedated vent patients
What medication can cause the pupils to dilate?
- Atropine
True or false: unequal pupil size is a red flag of a neuro emergency and a HCP should be notifed immediately?
True
When assessing a childs pupils you notice that one pupil has become fixed and dilated you recongize as the nurse that this……
A neuologic emergency… we will remain with the child and notify the HCP via vocera.
A child experiencing an neruologically emergency whose pupil has been fixed and dilated is at high risk for?
Resp. Arrest
What the two types of posturing?
- Decorticate (Flexion)
- Decerebrate (extension)
What is decorticate (flexion) posturing?
It is the dysfunction of the cerebral cortex ABOVE the brainstem
Decorticate: Think de“cor”ticate bring arms into core
What is decerebrate (extension) posturing?
Dysfunction at the midbrain/brainstem
Worse than decorticate
De”cere”brate thing cerebellem… and de and away.. so away from brain…
Where are you going to see the biggest difference in what type of posturing a child is experiencing?
Upper extremities
True or false: Posturing is present even when a child is resting?
False– It is not alway present when the child is resting… most often present when the child becomes stimulated
When assessing a child you notice posturing on only one side of the body… your next action is…
The is a neurlogical emergency. Usually means the child is heirniating… notify HCP immediately.
The brain accounts for ____% of the craniums total volume
80
CSF accounts for _____ % of the craniums total volume
10
Blood accounts for _____% of cranial volume?
10%
A change in one of the 3 components of the craniums total volume must be…..
Compensated by a change in another to maintain a constant volume and pressure
____ fontenals allow for more compensation?
Open
Common ICP patients include
- Head trauma
- Brain bleeds
- Hydrocephalus
- Cerebral edema
Increased ICP clinical manifestations typically present as…
Subtle to more pronouced as the pressure increases
What are generalized s/s of increased ICP
- Headache
- vomiting
- personality changes
- Irritability
- fatigue
What are s/s of increased ICP in infants?
List 10
- Tense, bulging fontanel
- seperated cranial sutures
- irritable and restless
- Drowsy
- Increased sleeping
- High-pitched cry
- increased head circumference (FOC)
- Distended scalp veins
- Poor feeding
- Setting sun syndrome
What is setting sun syndrome?
Causes eyes to rotate downward
How often is the FOC measured?
DUring inital assess. each shift or more often depending on orders or if the status of child changes
What are s/s of increased ICP in children?
- Headache
- Nausea
- Forceful vomiting
- Diplopia, blurred vision
- Seizures
- indifference, drowsiness
- increased sleeping
- inability to follow simple commands
- Lethargy
What are late s/s of increased ICP in infants and children?
- Bradycardia (Serious… at this point you need to be moving faster)
- decreaed motor response to command
- Decreased sensory response to painful stimuli
- Alteration in pupil size and reactivity
- as the pressure increases the pupils will become more sluggish and eventually progress to fixed and dilated
- Posturing (flexion or extention)
- Altered resp. pattern
- Decreased consciousness which will progressively deterioriate
- Coma
What are some indication for invasive ICP monitoring?
- GCS 8 or lower
- GCS of 8 with resp assistance
- Traumatic brain injury with abnormal CT
- Deterioration of condition
- Subjective judgement by neurosurgeon
Which ICP monitoring site is considered gold standard?
Ventricular– esp for extremely increased ICP- able to place catheter down into the ventricles and able to connect that to a drainage device with a transducer to monitor
What should we know about the intraparenchymal ICP monitor site?
by draining off some of the cerebral spinal fluid we are able to lower ICP temporarly
Nursing care for children with increased ICP include
- Familiarity with the monitoring and drainage system and insertain procedure
- sometimes Done at bedside in emergent situations
- Monitoring and interpreting readings and patient symptoms
**2. Mannitol - Hypertonic saline**
**4. Positioning - Pain control**
- Environmental maintenance/minimal stimulation.
7.** Sedate/paralizye** - Continual observation of LOC, Pupils and VS
**9. Suction only as needed - Thermoregulation
- Bowel elimination
- Eye lubercating ointment
- Room set up***
Bolded are asked talked about later in slides.
What medications might be used in the nursing care of increased ICP?
- Mannitor: osmotic diuretic used to decrease ICP. Works quickly within 1-5 mins and is rapidly excreted by the kidneys so it carries lots of sodium and water with it. CAUTION: HYPOVOLEMIC RISK
- Hypertonic solutions: Increases sodium level and pulls fluid into the vascular system. MOst helpful in patients who are hypotensive and hypervolemic
What positioning techniques might we use in our nursing care to help decrease ICP?
- Elevate HOB and keep head MIDLINE to help facilitate venous drainage
Why is pain control important to increased ICP?
If you are hurting your ICP is elevated. If we can control the pain we can work on bringing down the ICP
What can we have a family member do to help try and bring down ICP?
Sometimes a family member just placing a hand on the patient can soothe them and decrease the ICP. If we utilize this method it is important that we teach the family member not to rub.. as this could stimulate and increased ICP
What sedation/paralytic medication might we use when caring for a patient with increased ICP?
- Midazolam (sedative
- Fentanyl(sedative+ analgesic)
- Vecuronium (paralytic)
These medications are used to help keep child in a relaxed state
Never use a paralytic without a….
sedative
When a child with increased ICP is intubated you should suction when?
ONly when neccessary
Why is thermoregulation important in the nursing care of a patient with increased ICP?
These children are typically hyperthermic and dont normally respond to antipyretics so we must cool them with other methods.. body working harder could increase ICP
What are other methods of cooling a patient with increased ICP? and what must you be careful about when cooling a patient?
- Cooling blankets
- Ice packs
Avoid cooling the patient to the point they start to shiver as this will have defeted the purpose
Why is bowel elimination important in the nursing care of a patient with increased ICP?
We want to avoid having the child strain as this can increase ICP. They may become constipated so we should see about getting them a stool softner or enema
Why is eye lubercaiting oinment important in the care of a patient with increased ICP?
Important esp. for the kids that are intubated and sedated. Eyes tend to dry out quickly… so we want to alternate artifical tears w/lubercants
Why is room set up important in the care of a patient with increased ICP?
Important to make sure that you have all the equipment you need and that it works properly in case of an emergency
What is a head injury?
Damage to brain or surrounding structures
Head injuries can occur as result of…. list 3
- Fall
- MVC
- Bike accidents
Why are infants & young children at highest risk for head injuries?
- Large head compared to their body
- Immature neck muscles
- Thin skill bones
- Fontanels (open fontenal open brain)
What are s/s of a minor head injury?
- may have loss of consciousness
- Temporary confusion
- Lethargy
- Drowsiness
- Irritablility
- Pallor
- Vomiting
What are s/s that a head injury is progressing from minor to severe?
- ALtered mental stauts
- Increased agitation
- Marked changes in VS
Bradycardia is a late and dangerous sign
What are s/s of a severe head injury?
- Signs of increased ICP
- Bulging fontenel(s)
- Retinal hemorrhages
- Pupillary changes
- Hyperthermia
- Unsteady gaint
- Seizures
- Posturing
- Resp depression
How is a head injury diagnosed?
- History and physical
- Preexisting conditios: Bleeding disorders could put children at higher risk
- History of injury…. if it doesnt make since investigate
- Assessment of ABC’s, then neuro
- Baseline vitals
- Radiography exams
What diagnostic exams can be done to determine a head injury?
- x-ray: confirms fractures
- CT: R/o bleed
- MRI: typically not done initally… if we need structural details we may come back for one
When the brain strikes the skull what is the point of impact called?
Coup
When the brain strikes the skull the point of impact is called the coup. What is the injury opposite from impact called?
Contrecoup
What is acceleration and deceleration in head injuries?
Acceleration: Stationary head recieves blow (blunt hit like a baseball to the head)
Deceleration: Head in motions comes to abrupt stop (car accidents, falls)
How do you recieve a skill fracture?
Direct blow or injury to skulll associated with a intracranial injury
What are the most common causes of skull fractures?
Falls
In children younger than 2 yo these fractures usually occur from falling from a short distacnce
What does it mean when they say kids have a more flexible skull than an adult?
It takes a greater amount of force to fracture their skull so anytime there is an infant with a skull fracture it is a huge red flag
What is a basilar skull fracture?
Facture to the bones at the base of the skull…
1. Ethmoid
2. Sphenoid
3. Temporal
4. Occipital
This type of fracture typically results in a dural tear and is considered a serious injury due to the proximity to the brainstem
Why is a basilar skull fracture a serious injury?
Due to its proximity to brianstem
Children with a basilar skull fracture at higher risk of…
developing an infection… recommended to get pneumovax prophalactically
What are some s/s of a basliar skull fracture?
- Battle sign: Subcutaneous bleding in the back of the neck area kinda over the mastiod process
- Bleeding around the eyes “racoon eyes”
- Bleeding behind the tempanic membrane “hemotempanum”
- Cerebral spinal fluid leaking out from ears/nose
What is a quick way to test draininage from ears or nose for CSF?
Glucose test…
Halo sign is also a good indicator
What are some complications of head injuries?
- Hemorrhage
- Infection esp. with open injuries
- Edema– can peak 24-72 hours post injury
- Herniation– r/t compression of the brain… this can be fatal quickly
What is the patho of a epidural hemorrhage?
- Blood accumulates rapidly between the skull & dura
- Formation of a hematoma
- Froces brain tissue downward and inward
Because bleeding is generally arterial the brain can be compressed pretty rapidly parital and temporal region are most common
Is an epidural bleed venous or arterial blood?
Arterial
What should we know about the meningeal artery in an epidural hemorrhage?
- It becomes embedded into the skull itself so a break in that bone can tear the artery which causes the arterial bleed.
- However, this is not often seen in kids under 2 since it not yet embeded into bone.
What are the classic signs of an epidural hemorrhage?
- Momentary unconsciousness followed by a normal period
- Few hours later they will have an altered mental status and become lethargic or end up in coma
If not recognized it can progress rapidly and cause dealth
True or false? Classic signs of an epidural hemorrhage are not often evident in children?
True
They frequently have no unconscious period instead their normal period frequently has symtoms
Since children do not experience the classic signs of an epidural hemorrhage what signs might we expect to see?
- Irritability
- Headache
- Vomiting
- pallor
- buldging fonanel
How is an epidural hemorrhage detected?
CT SCAN
What is the patho of a Subdural hemorrhage?
- Vascular injury that leads to
- Bleeding between the dura and cerebrum
- Spreads slowly through the dural space
Spreads more around brain because it is inside the dura… this is a venous bleed… which bleeds more slowly
What are the presenting sings of a subdural hemorrhage?
- Irritability
- Vomiting
- Increased FOC
- Bulging anterior fontanel (infant)
- Lethargy
- Coma
- Seizure
True or false: Infants with open fontenals can lose alot of blood and end up in shock before we ever see any neuro changes?
True
Anytime a child comes in with a subdural hematoma and retinal hemorrhages we should?
Evaluate for possiblilty of child abuse indicative of abusive head trauma
What is the treatment of a subdural hematoma?
- Observation
- Subdural taps infants
- subdural drains
- burr hole
- surgical evacuation of hematoma
What are some general therapeutic management measures we can take for MILD head injuries?
Think least invasive
- Cared for/observed at home
- Family education on what to watch for and when to bring them back in
- Watch for signs of SIADH