Flashcards in Neurology 1 Deck (64)
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1
Range of the glasgow coma scale?
3-15 ( 15 most consciousness)
2
way to asses level of consciousness?
AVPU
alert
verbal
pain
unresponsive
3
Structural causes of impaired consciousness?
internal
external
4
Global failure causes of impaired consciousness?
metabolism
infection
drugs/alcohol
seizures
5
external causes?
head injury most common
trauma
6
internal causes?
vascular - stroke - ischaemic/haemorrhagic
tumour - benign/primary/secondary
abscess
7
Metabolism causes?
hypoglycaemia
liver/renal failure
hypoxia
hyperaepnia
hypornatraemia
hypercalcaemia
hyperthyroidism
hypotension
8
Infection causes?
of brain - encephalitis, meningitis, malaria/other tropical diseases
of body - any other severe infection e/g pneumonia
9
drug causes?
opiates
alcohol
recreational drugs
overuse of sedative meds
10
what causes seizures/epilepsy?
excess electrical activity
11
pt has impaired consciousness, how to act?
ABCDE
identify and treat cause
12
what is epilepsy?
excessive electrical discharges in the brain
13
types of seizures?
focal/partial seizures - depends on what part of brain affected
generalised seizures - whole brain affected
14
simple focal seizures are?
shaking on one side
15
complex partial seizures are?
temporal lobe related
auras - olfactory hallucinations followed by odd behavious - automatisms
16
generalised seizures are usually?
grand mal/tonic clonic
tonic phase - limbs stiffen
clonic phase - limbs shake
may be incontinence, tongue biting, cyanosis
headache drowsy after
17
what are petit mal seizures?
type of generalised
-absence seizures - children- stare into space for 10 secs
-myoclonic - limbs jerk and collapse
-atonic - limbs collapse
18
primary causes of epilepsy?
often hereditaty involvement
19
secondary causes of epilepsy?
structural damage
-acute/chronic - b/c stroke,tumour, injury, meningitis
-metabolic - electrolyte disturbance, alcohol withdrawl, hypoglycaemia. always check blood sugar
20
investigations for epilepsy?
blood tests
brain imaging - MRI
electroencephalogram EEG
21
drug tx of epilepsy?
phenytoin
carbamazepine
sodium valproate
22
surgical tx of epilepsy?
tumour removal, arteriovenous malformations, poorly controlled primary epilepsy
23
avoid treating epileptic pt when?
epilepsy poorly controlled
24
divisions of headaches?
primary headache disorders
secondary headache disorders - associated with mortality/permanent disability
25
red flags with headaches?
-severity - sudden onset
-raised intracranial pressure - worsening on positional change/strain, present on waking, nausea/vomitting
-focal neurology
-visual changes
-impaired consciousness/confusion
-meningism, fever, rash
associated with cancer or HIV
26
types of primary headaches?
tension
migraines
cluster
medication overuse
trigeminal neuralgia
27
what is a tension headaches?
stress related - tight band symmetrical around head
chronic, gradual onset
worse at end of day
28
treatment of a tension headache?
concentional analgesics
tricyclic antidepressants for prophylaxis
29
what is a migraine?
temporary reduction in blood flow then compensatory excess blood flow
8% more common in females
30
