Chapter 18 - Altered Mental Status, Stroke, and Headache Flashcards
altered mental status
a variation from normal function of the minds judged by a persons behavior, appearance, speech, memory, judgement, or responsiveness to stimuli; altered mental status may range from disorientation to total unresponsiveness or unconsciousness.
coma
an unconscious state in which a person does not respond to any stimulus, including pain.
embolic stroke
a type of ischemic stroke caused by plaque or other material that lodges in a blocks a cerebral artery.
hemorrhagic stroke
a stroke caused by rupture of a blood vessel in the brain that allows blood to leak and collect in or around the brain tissue.
ischemic stroke
a stroke caused by a clot obstructing a blood vessel in the brain, resulting in an inadequate amount of blood being delivered to a portion of the brain distal to the blocked vessel.
neurological deficit
any deficiency in the nervous systems functioning, typically exhibited as a motor, sensory, or cognitive deficit.
non traumatic brain injury
a medical injury to the brain that is not caused by external trauma. Stroke is an example of a non traumatic brain injury.
reticular activating system (RAS)
a network of specialized nerve cells within the brainstem that controls states of arousal and consciousness including wakefulness, attentiveness, and sleep.
stroke
a sudden disruption in blood flow to the brain that results in brain cells damage. Blood flow might be interrupted by a ruptured artery or blocked by a clot or other foreign matter in an artery that supplies the brain.
thrombotic stroke
a type of ischemic stroke caused by a stationary clot that forms in and blocks a cerebral artery.
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
brief, intermittent episode with stroke like symptoms that typically disappear within minutes, but usually lasts no longer than 1 hour. TIAs are caused by an oxygen deficit in the brain tissue (ischemia) and are often a precursor to a stroke.
