Chapter 18 Flashcards
Altered Mental status
Any deviation from alert and oriented to a person, place, time, and event
Aneurysm
A swelling or enlargement of a part of an artery, resulting from weakening of the arterial wall
aphasia
The inability to understand and/or produce speech.
atherosclerosis
A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow.
aura
A sensation experienced before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to
occur.
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke.
coma
A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused.
delirium
A temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inat-tention, mamory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness.
dysarthria
slurred speech
embolus
A blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel where it causes a blockage of blood flow.
epilepsy
A disorder in which abnormal electrical discharges occur in the brain, causing seizures and possible loss of consciousness.
febrile seizures
Seizures that result from sudden high fevers; most often seen in children.
focal seizures
A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain.
generalized seizure
A seizure characterized by severe twitching of all of the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formerly known as a grand mal seizure.
hemiparesis
Weakness on one side of the body.
