Chapter 18 Altered Mental Status, Stroke, and headache Flashcards Preview

Prehospital Emergency Care > Chapter 18 Altered Mental Status, Stroke, and headache > Flashcards

Flashcards in Chapter 18 Altered Mental Status, Stroke, and headache Deck (18)
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1
Q

a significant indication of injury or illness is known as

A

altered Mental Status

2
Q

The range for altered mental status may range from

A

disorientation to complete unconsciousness and unresponsive to pain stimuli

3
Q

there are two functioning components necessary for a person to stay awake. What are they

A

an intact reticular activating system

and at least one cerebral hemisphere

4
Q

what is the reticular activating system (RAS)

A

is a set of connected nuclei in the brains of vertebrates that is responsible for regulating arousal and sleep-wake transitions.

5
Q

Indication for pupils

A
head injury (unequal or fixed
drugs (pinpoint)
hypoxia (sluggish to respond to light
6
Q

any deficiency in the functioning of the brain or nervous system is known as

A

neurological deficit

7
Q

what are the signs of a neurological deficit

A
altered mental status
slurred or absent speech
paralysis
weakness
numbness
8
Q

a neurological deficit will alert an emt to the possibility of a condition that is affecting the patients ______________?

A

central nervous system

9
Q

a medical injury to the brain that is not related to trauma is known as

A

nontraumatic brain injury or stoke

10
Q

The time of onset of a stroke is commonly defined as the last ime that a patient was seen…………….?

A

neurologically intact

11
Q

what causes a stroke

A

interruption of blood to the brain

12
Q

how does a stroke occur?

A

either by a blockage of an atery that is carrying build to a specific part of the brain or bleeding in the brain

13
Q

the blockage is known as

A

ischemic stroke

14
Q

the bleeding is known as

A

hemorrhagic stroke

15
Q

what is a thrombus

A

a clot that develops at the site of an occlusion

16
Q

a stroke resulting from thrombus is known as

A

thrombotic stroke

17
Q

a clot or other matter that has traveled from anther area other the body is known as

A

embolus

18
Q

when the embolus lodes in the cerebral artery and occludes it its known as

A

cerebral embolus