week 8 pharm Flashcards
(62 cards)
what are some issues that may cause hemorrhagic stroke
anticoagulants, head injuries, clotting issues (from the liver), hypertension
what are the 5 levels of coma
lethargy (v drowsy)
obtunded (needs moderate stimulation to wake them up)
stuporous (lots of stimulation to rouse the patient, v drowsy)
coma
what is mentation
mental status (i.e. what is a patients mentation?)
what do catecholamines do
they increase heart rate, cause vasoconstriction, and increase blood pressure
what types of substances produce catecholamines
drugs, smoking, alcohol
how do statins help with stroke
they lower the amount of lipids in the blood which could help with thrombotic (ischemic) stroke because they help prevent atherosclerosis
which labs should be monitored for an individual on atorvastatin?
liver function tests (LFTs)
renal function tests (urea/creatinine)
Creatinine kynase (to check for myopathy)
how does ASA help with stroke
basically thins he blood to prevent cardiovascular disease, promote blood flow around blocked site, prevent MI
what is a FAST assessment
an assessment you would do on a stroke patient to see how bad it is
Face: get them to smile and look for asymmetry
arms: get them to look up their arms and look for positive pronator drift
speech: look for slurring and wierdness
Time to get help
how many positive findings in the FAST assessment would indicate that its time for help
if a person is experiencing one or more stroke symptoms
whats the most important question to ask an individual presenting with a stroke
when did the symptoms first begin? (determines how much time they have to save them and determines which type of stroke theyre experiencing)
what are some immediate priorities in acute stroke
- note the onset of symptoms
- cardiac status
- respiratory status
- neurological assessment
- blood sugar
which cranial nerves are involved with gag, cough, and swallow reflex
cranial nerves 9, 10, 12
how many hours does one have before intense brain damage to the penumbra
4.5 Hours
what is a separate condition that must be ruled out in a hyper-acute stroke patient
hyperglycemia
what are the highest and lowest scores of the GCS
highest: 15
lowest: 3
which score of the GCS would be concerning
anything under 14 is bad
what are the late signs of stroke
coma, posturing, absent motor reflexes, dilated/fixed pupils, apneic periods
what does PERRLA stand for
pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation
which cranial nerve is involved with assessing pupils
cranial nerve 3
if a pupil is dilated to 8-9mm, what does that mean?
it means they have a blown pupil (v bad)
what are some diagnostic that can tell the diff between an ischemic and hemmorhagic stroke
CT and MRI
what are some blood work findings we look at for stroke
CBC, coagulation studies, Blood glucose, renal/liver labs, lipid profile
what may happen to BP and blood sugar following a stroke
they will both increase
