medicine 4 Flashcards
(187 cards)
cerebrovascular incidents are
ischaemia or intracranial haemorrhage
TIA is defined as
symptoms of a stroke that resolve within 24 hours
a crescendo TIA refers too
two or more TIAS in a week
presentation of a TIA
Sudden weakness of limbs
Sudden facial weakness
Sudden onset dysphasia (speech disturbance)
Sudden onset visual or sensory loss
how to quickly identify a stroke in community
F – Face
A – Arm
S – Speech
T – Time (act fast and call 999)
ABCD2 for for patients with a TIA consists of
A – Age (> 60 = 1)
B – Blood pressure (> 140/90 = 1)
C – Clinical features (unilateral weakness = 2, dysphasia without weakness = 1)
D – Duration (> 60 = 2, 10 – 60 = 1, < 10 = 0)
D – Diabetes = 1
management of stroke
Admit patients to a specialist stroke centre
Exclude hypoglycaemia
Immediate CT brain to exclude primary intracerebral haemorrhage
Aspirin 300mg stat (after the CT) and continued for 2 weeks
with a stroke, once a CT scan has ruled out an intracranial haemorrhage what treatment can be used?
Thrombolysis with alteplase
what role does alteplase have
tissue plasminogen activator
what is the gold standard for vascular territory for stroke
diffusion weighted MRI
what investigation can assess carotid stenosis
carotid US
secondary prevention of stroke
Clopidogrel 75mg once daily (alternatively dipyridamole 200mg twice daily)
Atorvastatin 80mg should be started but not immediately
Carotid endarterectomy or stenting in patients with carotid artery disease
Treat modifiable risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes
presentation of an intracranial bleed
Sudden onset headache
Seizures Weakness Vomiting Reduced consciousness Other sudden onset neurological symptoms
glasgow coma score for eyes
Spontaneous = 4 Speech = 3 Pain = 2 None = 1
Glasgow coma score for verbal response
Orientated = 5 Confused conversation = 4 Inappropriate words = 3 Incomprehensible sounds = 2 None = 1
Glasgow coma score for motor response
Obeys commands = 6 Localises pain = 5 Normal flexion = 4 Abnormal flexion = 3 Extends = 2 None = 1
subdural haemorrhage is caused by
rupture of bridging veins between the dura mater and arachnoid mater
extradural haemorrhage is caused by
rupture of the middle meningeal artery
rupture of the middle meningeal artery is associated with a fracture with
temporal bone
on Ct scan an extradural haemorrhage appears as
bi-convex shape
a cerebral aneurysm usually bleeds into
the subarachnoid space
the sub arachnoid space exists between
the pia mater and the arachnoid mater
what headache is associated with a subarachnoid haemorrhage
thunderclap
features of a thunderclap headache
Neck stiffness
Photophobia
Vision changes
Neurological symptoms such as speech changes, weakness, seizures and loss of consciousness