Chapter 17 Neurologic Emergencies

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 the wall of a blood vessel that results from weakening of the vessel wall

Question 3

Aphasia

Answer 3

The inability to understand and/or produce speech

Question 4

Atherosclerosis

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Aura

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Answer 6

And 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

A temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, 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

Question 11

Epilepsy

Answer 11

It disorder in which abnormal electrical discharge is occur in the brain, causing seizure 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

Generalized (tonic clonic) seizure

Answer 13

A seizure characterized by severe twitching of all the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formally known as a grand mal seizure

Question 14

Himiparesis

Answer 14

Weakness on one side of the body

Question 15

Hemorrhagic stroke

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Hypoglycemia

Answer 16

An abnormally low blood glucose level

Question 17

Incontinence

Answer 17

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

Question 18

ischemia

Answer 18

A lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permanent injury has not yet occurred

Question 19

Ischemic stroke

Answer 19

A type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage (e.g., A blood clot) inside a blood vessel

Question 20

Partial (focal) seizure

Answer 20

A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain

Question 21

Postictal state

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Seizure

Answer 22

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 23

Status epilepticus

Answer 23

A condition in which seizures reoccur every few minutes or lasts longer than 30 minutes

Question 24

Stroke

Answer 24

An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Question 25

Syncope

Answer 25

A fainting spell or transient loss of consciousness

Question 26

Thrombosis

Answer 26

A blood clot, either in the arterial or venous system. When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, and may result in the interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke

Question 27

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Answer 27

A disorder of the brain in which brain cells temporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing stroke like symptoms that resolved completely within 24 hours of onset