Week 2 - Stroke Flashcards
What is a stroke?
A focal neurological deficit due to cerebrovascular lesion lasting longer than 24 hours.
Damage to the brain from interruption of its blood supply for over 24 hours.
What is a focal neurological deficit?
A problem with the nerve, spinal cord, or brain function that affects a specific location.
When does stroke occur?
Stroke occurs when when blood supplied to an area of the brain is inadequate to meet the metabolic needs of that tissue
What are the two types of stroke?
Ischemic and Haemorrhagic
What % of strokes are Ischemic?
75%
What % of strokes are haemorrhagic?
25%
What are the 3 types of Ischemic stroke?
- Thrombosis
- Embolism
- Lacunar
What causes Thrombosis?
Cholesterol building up in the lumen
What is ischemia?
It is a condition in which the blood flow (and thus oxygen) is restricted or reduced in a part of the body.
True or false: Thrombosis is more common in large blood vessels?
True
What is the ICA?
Internal Carotid Artery - an artery in the neck which supplies the anterior circulation of the brain.
What is the MCA?
Middle Cerebral Artery - it is one of the three major paired arteries that supply blood to the cerebrum.
What is a thrombosis stroke?
A stroke caused by a thrombus (blood clot) that develops in the arteries supplying blood to the brain
What is a thrombus?
A blood clot
What is an embolism stroke?
A stroke that occurs when a blood clot that forms elsewhere in the body breaks loose and travels to the brain via the bloodstream.
What is a lacunar stroke?
A lacunar stroke occurs when one of the arteries that provide blood to the brain’s deep structures is blocked
Where does an embolism commonly occur from?
Clots commonly occur from the heart vessels which can break off and travel or float to the blood vessels within the brain.
What can cause a lacunar stroke?
High blood pressure
What is an infarction?
Tissue death or necrosis due to inadequate blood supply to the affected area.
What is unique about the arteries where a lacunar stroke occurs?
Unlike most arteries, which gradually taper to a smaller size, the small arteries of a lacunar stroke branch directly off of a large, high-pressure, heavily muscled main artery.
Why can hypertension lead to a lacunar stroke?
High blood pressure can lead to lacunar strokes because it causes a pounding pulse, can directly damage these arteries and causes atherosclerosis.
What is atherosclerosis?
A condition in which fatty deposits (plaques) build up along the walls of blood vessels.
How can atherosclerosis cause lacunar strokes?
Atherosclerosis can make a clot form inside of one of the small deep arteries, blocking blood flow.
What is a TIA?
Transient Ischemic Attack
What is the timeframe of symptoms of a TIA?
A few minutes to 24 hours
True or false: TIA symptoms completely resolve after 24 hours?
False, symptoms resolve within the time frame of a few minutes to 24 hours.
True or false: Most stroke patients have a TIA before a large stroke occurs?
True
What is a Haemorrhagic stroke?
A haemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures.
What are the 4 types of haemorrhage causing stroke?
- Extradural Haemorrhage
- Subdural Haemorrhage
- Subarachnoid Haemorrhage
- Intracerebral Haemorrhage
What is an extradural haemorrhage?
A collection of blood that forms between the inner surface of the skull and the outer layer of the dura
What injuries are extradural haemorrhage commonly associated with?
Head trauma and skull fracture
What is a subdural haemorrhage?
A collection of blood that occurs between the brain and its outermost protective layers (the meninges).
What is the most common cause of subdural haemorrhage?
A fall or a direct blow to the head.
What is a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
A collection of blood that forms under one of the protective layers of the brain known as the arachnoid layer
What commonly causes subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Aneurysm
What is intracerebral haemorrhage?
Bleeding within the brain tissue itself
How is age a risk factor of stroke?
- As we get older our arteries naturally become narrower and harder
- Higher mortality and poorer quality of life than younger people post stroke
True or false: Men are more likely to suffer a stroke and at a younger age.
True
How is diabetes a risk factor for stroke?
Diabetes can cause pathological changes in blood vessels at various different locations in the body, increasing the risk of stroke
True or false, stroke kills less women than breast cancer and less men than prostate cancer?
False. Stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer
How many people globally will have a stroke?
1 in 4
How many people are diagnosed with stroke in Australia per day?
100+
What does FAST stand for
Face
Arms
Speech
Time
What does the F in FAST stand for?
Face: Check a person’s face to see if their mouth has dropped on one side.
What does the A in FAST stand for?
Arms: Checking whether a person can move both of their arms or not
What does the S in FAST stand for?
Speech: Check whether a person’s speech is slurred or whether they can understand what you are saying
What does the T in FAST stand for?
Time: Time is critical in stroke as stroke treatments must be administered within a certain period of time
How many brain cells are lost per minute during stroke?
Every minute someone is having a stroke, 1.9 million brain cells are lost.
