WEEK 5 - NEUROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT Flashcards
focus areas of a neurological assessment
headache, head injury, dizziness, seizures, muscle control, senses, speech, memory, cognition
health history questions
when, what does it feel like, witnessed, how often, associated symptoms, medications, bowel and bladder control
parts of the brain that regulate consciousness
reticular formation, thalamus, the cortex
consciousness awareness tools
AVPU - FAST - Glasgow coma scale
how to assess central pain (brain function)
supraorbital pressure (finger across eye) - trapezium squeeze (shoulder squeeze)
how to assess peripheral pain (spinal nerve function)
nail bed pressure - interphalangeal joint pressure
pupillary function
inspect pupils for shape, symmetry and reaction to light
dilated pupils
caused by alcohol, some recreational drugs and extreme stress
constricted pupils
caused by opioid overdose, lower brain stem compression or damage to the pons
hypertension - neurological injury
commonly occurs with an intracranial injury
dysrhyhmias
occurs as a result of changes in intracranial pressure
tachypnoea
rapid respirations that are irregular in pattern
hypoxia
reduced level of oxygen in tissue
ischaemic stroke
an artery in the brain gets blocked by a clot
hemorrhagic stroke
a wall of a blood vessel in the brain breaks
transient ischaemic attack
mini-stroke - a clot in the brain is interrupted due to a clot or haemorrhage but only lasts for a short time
FAST
face, arms, speech, time
physiology of pain
transduction, transmission, perception, modulation
transduction
the process by which a painful physical or chemical stimulus is transformed into a signal that can be carried (via transmission) to the central nervous system and perceived as pain.
transmission
Movement of the impulse from the site of origin to the brain
perception
developing conscious awareness of the brain
modulation
activation of descending neural pathways that inhibit the transmission of pain to the brain.
nociceptive pain
pain that is usually acute and transmitted after normal processing of noxious stimuli
cutaneous pain
superficial pain which originates from nerves in the skin or subcutaneous tissue
somatic pain
deep pain originating from tendons, ligaments, nerves, bones and blood vessels
visceral pain
poorly localised pain arising from body organs in the thorax, cranium and abdomen
acute pain
sudden onset pain varying in intensity has a short duration and is a normal response to noxious stimuli (surgical incisions, burns and fractures)
chronic pain
constant daily pain that can be mild to severe, and can last for a period of 3-6 months (phantom limb pain, arthritis and stroke)
components of pain assessment
onset, location, duration, characteristics, aggravating and alleviating factors, related symptoms, treatment, severity
components of pain assessment
onset, location, duration, characteristics, aggravating and alleviating factors, related symptoms, treatment, severity
physiological indicators - acute pain
elevated BP
increased PR
high RR
dilated pupils
physiological indicators - chronic pain
normal BP, PP, RR and pupil size
depression and anxiety
loss of sleep and enjoyment in life
