...One Stroke at a Time The brain is arguably the most complex of all the organs in your body. These three pounds of tissue compose the major nerve center of the body, which coordinates all of our bodily functions, including behavior, thought, and emotions. Because our brain is a very diligent working organ, it requires constant supplies and nutrients from the blood to function effectively. The heart pumps blood throughout the cerebral arteries delivering blood to the brain. Any significant interruption to the supply of nutrients and oxygen will start killing brain cells. Damage to the brain cells occur almost immediately upon abruption or even the slightest restriction of blood flow to the brain. Minor damage to any part of the brain can have a serious adverse effect on the rest of the body. Significant damage to the brain can even result in death. One relatively common cause of brain damage and death is referred to as a stroke. A stroke is similar to a heart attack, only in this case, blood flow to the brain rather than the heart, is blocked. A stroke or "brain attack" is usually the result of progressive disease that develops over many years. When blood flow fails, brain cells are robbed of vital supplies of oxygen and nutrients. Some strokes have little recognizable effect. While not usually fatal, a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or neck is the most frequent cause of a stroke. It can leave a portion of dead tissue in the brain, called a cerebral infarction,...
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...A. Strokes have always been a prevalent illness in my family history. Unfortunately that’s not good news seeing as many of the risk factors associated with strokes are also prevalent in my family. The biggest two would be how prone my family is to high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Some other risk factors associated with strokes include: physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, heavy or binge drinking, use of illicit drugs, diabetes, and being overweight. What’s interesting about these risk factors is that both my parents do not smoke, are physically active seeing as they tend a small orchard grafting and budding trees, do not drink, definitely not overweight, and eat a healthy diet given both are vegetarians that frequently visit a local nutritionist. Perhaps I’ll come by during office hours to discuss it with you if you have time. B. Early signs or symptoms of strokes can be easily remembered with this mnemonic : FAST. • FACE: Keep an eye out for crooked smiles. The key here being that one side of a person’s face is drooping therefore clearly identifying nonresponsive facial muscles as a result of lowered brain activity relative to where those muscles are located. • ARMS: See if a person can hold their arms straight out without it falling. If an arm immediately starts drooping it’s indicative of a person stroking out sooner than you can imagine. • SPEECH: Have the person say a simple phrase and see if you notice their speech slurred. • TIME: If any one of...
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...There are three types of strokes that cause changes to the brain: Hemorrhagic stroke,Intracerebral hemorrhage and Transient ischemic attack (TIA). Ischemic stroke is the most common form of stroke, accounting for around 87% of strokes. Strokes are the 5th leading cause of death in the US, with one person dying every 4 minutes as a result. For African Americans, stoke is the 3rd leading cause of death.(http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm) It is estimated that About 795,000 people have a stroke each year; about one every 40 seconds - there are many medical conditions that can cause a stroke and it is estimated that 8 out of 10 strokes can be prevented. However, there are some things that cannot be controlled when you are predisposed to stroke; such as your age and race.(http://www.webmd.com/stroke/stroke-causes-risks) A stroke is caused by an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain, a stroke can happen to anyone - although there are different reasons that put some people at higher risks such as age, family history, high blood pressure, smoking, being overweight, diabetes and high cholesteral.(http://www.stroke.org/understand-stroke/what-stroke) The three types of strokes have specific causes. Ischemic stroke is the most common form of stroke, accounting for around 87% of strokes. This type of stroke is caused by blockages or narrowing of the arteries that provide blood to the brain, resulting in severely reduced blood flow. Hemorrhagic stroke are caused by arteries...
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...Strokes I. August 29th 2009. I will never forget that day. It was a life changing day for me, my family, and most of all, my grandma. II. My grandma experienced a massive stroke on that day. A. My grandma was helping her neighbor move into their new house and over worked herself. She became very tired and decided to rest. She then lost all feeling in her left side and my grandpa called 911 right away. B. This time was very life changing for me and my family. III Today I am going to inform you on the different types of strokes, the effects that a stroke can have on a person, and the signs of a stroke and how you can prevent it from happening. Body I. The two types of strokes that I will be talking about today are Hemorrhagic stroke and Ischemic stroke. A. A Hemorrhagic stroke is the rarer of the two types of strokes and accounts for about 13 percent of stroke cases which is what my grandma experienced. 1. It results from a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. The blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue. 2. The two types of hemorrhagic strokes are intracerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage. B. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures. Two types of weakened blood vessels that usually cause hemorrhagic stroke are aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations or AVMs. 1. An aneurysm is a ballooning of a weakened region of a blood vessel. If left...
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...NURSING MANAGEMENT OF A STROKE PATIENT INTRODUCTION Stroke is the only largest cause of adult disability which leaves a devastating and lasting effect on people and their families (DoH, 2007a). The government of the United Kingdom had recognized stroke as a health care priority. Several government agencies developed clinical guidelines which are being implemented today in local health care settings (Williams et al, 2010a). This essay will focus on stroke as the cause of impaired mobility and will tackle on the patient-centered rehabilitation care plan along with its evidence-based rationales. Health and social care policies and its effect on the patient’s chosen journey will also be discussed. PATIENT PROFILE This is a case of a 68 year-old, married female who lives in the south of England. Mrs. G was admitted on 12 October 2010 with a presenting complaint of left-sided weakness. Prior to admission, she experienced persistent pain on the back of the head for 2 days, which was unrelieved by Paracetamol intake. On the morning of admission, she collapsed in the bathroom and was found by the husband after 3 hours. She was brought to the hospital via ambulance and upon initial assessment, no shortness of breath, slurred speech, dizziness, palpitation and chest pain were noted. Her vital signs were as follows: blood pressure of 169/59 mmHg, pulse rate of 80 bpm, respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute, body temperature of 37.5 degrees...
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...Stroke Definition: A stroke is the sudden death of the cells in a specific area of the brain caused by inadequate blood flow. Another name for it is cerebral vascular accident (CVA). A stroke is also called a brain attack. Description: A stroke occurs when an artery bursts or becomes closed when a blood clot lodges in it and blood flow is interrupted to that part of the brain. Blood circulating to that area of the brain served by the artery stops at the point of rupture, and the brain tissue in that area dies or is damaged. The effects of a stroke are determined by which portion of the brain is affected and how much damage occurs. A stroke can cause memory loss, speech impairment, reasoning ability, loss of vision, paralysis, coma, and death, depending on what region of the brain is affected. Strokes are considered to be medical emergencies that require immediate treatment. About one third of strokes can be followed by transient ischemic attacks (mini-strokes). These strokes temporarily interrupt blood flow to the brain and cause similar symptoms like sudden vision loss or temporary weakness in a limb. Quick treatment can improve the chances of survival and increase the degree of recovery. A person who may have suffered a stroke should be seen in a hospital emergency room immediately. To be most effective, blood clot prevention treatment should begin within three hours of a stroke. More than half a million people in the United States experience a new or recurrent stroke...
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...A stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the cerebral arteries, those blood vessels that carry blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when one of those blood vessels in the brain is obstructed or ruptures flooding the brain with blood. Depriving blood and oxygen to the brain results in those immediate cells death, causing the brain not to function properly. Once parts of the brain stop functioning, it can directly affect the areas of the body controlled (1). A stroke can be generally be defined in two types of categories. The first and most common type of stroke is called ischemic stroke. This occurs when a blood clot (cerebral thrombosis) blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Blood flow beyond the blood clot is then restricted, and the part of the brain that relies on that blood supply becomes oxygen deficient and can die (1). A blood clot can develop in a narrowed artery that supplies the brain or can travel directly from the heart (or somewhere in the body) to an artery that supplies the brain. Blood clots are usually the result of other issues in the body that affect the normal blood flow. Common problems that affect the normal blood flow include: hardening of the arteries, irregular heart rhythms, infection of the heart valves, congenital heart defects, blood clotting disorders, inflammation of the blood vessels, etc. (2) The less common but more deadly of the two strokes is called a hemorrhagic stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an artery in the brain...
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...to dealing with stroke survivors the focus is always on the patient, how she will live, and the quality of her life. While dealing with these situations is the appropriate response it is also important to take into consideration that the patient is not the only one who had been affected by a stroke. This leads families and medical professionals alike by asking the question, how does a stroke impact the lives of the immediate family members of the stroke survivor? The aim of this study will be to determine the answer to this question by connecting how the changes in the quality of life for the survivor impact the lives of the immediate family. Developed Research Methodology As the main care giver of a spouse who has survived multiple strokes, it means that I am known by other immediate family members of stroke survivors as one of them and consequently I am aware of what they are experiencing. Acting as a participant observer is the most logical methodology to use for answering this question. The rationale behind this is that in the referred to situation I am known as a member of the group that is being studied rather than as a researcher, which is definition of a participant observer (Dorsten & Hotchkiss, 2014). The main technique of direct data collection that I intend to use is conducting interviews. Interviewing the immediate family members of a stroke survivor will allow me to determine how the changes that occurred as a direct result of the stroke have impacted...
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...with acute ischemic stroke. Methods—A survey was undertaken of 280 neurologists from the United States and 270 neurologists from Canada. Brief vignettes were presented for the following 5 scenarios: stroke in evolution, atrial fibrillation-related stroke (A FIB), vertebrobasilar stroke, carotid territory stroke, and multiple transient ischemic attacks. The effect of medicolegal factors was also ascertained. Statistical comparisons were done with chi-squared testing. Results—US neurologists were significantly more likely than Canadian neurologists to use intravenous heparin for patients with stroke in evolution (51% versus 33%, P0.001), vertebrobasilar stroke (30% versus 8%, P0.001), carotid territory stroke (31% versus 4%, P0.001), and multiple transient ischemic attacks (47% versus 9%, P0.001). The vast majority of US and Canadian neurologists would use intravenous heparin for acute stroke patients with A FIB (88% and 84%, respectively). US neurologists more often cited medicolegal factors as a potential influence on the decision-making process than Canadian neurologists (33% versus 10%, P0.001). Conclusions—In several clinical scenarios, US neurologists were significantly more likely than Canadian neurologists to use intravenous heparin. Fears regarding medicolegal consequences may partially explain the treatment disparity. Despite the publication of 4 clinical trials, which have not shown any long-term benefit for patients with acute stroke and A FIB (International...
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...Stroke, Why People Have Them and How Do They Recover A stroke is one of those things that is not really predictable and doesn’t really care who is affected by it. I can honestly say that I didn’t ever really care to look into and study what a stroke was, or how people might recover from it until I met my wife. In what I know a stroke is a lack of oxygen to the brain for a period of time which will vary from person to person. During this time period where there is no oxygen flowing to the brain damage is being done. That damage will not fully present itself until the victim comes to and can attempt the regular day to day tasks and actions. People can have different side effects to strokes and different recovery times. Also, due to the severity of some peoples’ stroke, some symptoms may never go away. I always assumed that strokes only happened to older people, possibly with high blood pressure or a poor way of living. I never knew that this horrible thing could take victims that were so young and full of life. For my wife, her stroke came following a surgical procedure and she ended up in a coma. In her situation upon waking up it was discovered that she had lost all use of the left side of her body. As time went on it was also determined that her memory had been affected. At that point in time we didn’t really know what her recovery would entail and what if any improvements she would make. I just knew that we had to pray for the best and hope that she...
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...Aggrenox Drug Platelet inhibitor and aspirin drug (oral) Angiography angi/o- (blood vessel; lymphatic vessel) (AN-jee-AW-grah-fee) -graphy (process of recording) Angioplasty angi/o- (blood vessel; lymphatic vessel) (AN-jee-oh-PLAS-tee) -plasty (process of reshaping by surgery) Anticoagulant anti- (against) coagul/o- (clotting) -ant (pertaining to) Arteriography arteri/o- (artery) (ar-TEER-ee-AW-graph-fee) -graphy (process of recording) Atherosclerosis ather/o- (soft, fatty substance) (ATH-eh-roh-skleh-ROH-sis) scler/o- (hard) -osis (condition; abnormal condition; process) Bruit (harsh, rush sound made by blood passing thru (BROO-ee) a narrowed artery) Cardiovascular cardi/o- (heart) (KAR-dee-oh-VAS-kyoo-lar) vascul/o- (blood vessel) -ar (pertaining to) Carotid Arteries carot/o- (stupor; sleep) (KAR-RAW-tid) -id (resembling; source of origin) Note: Bring oxygenated blood to the neck; face; head and brain Diabetes diabet/o- (diabetes) Echocardiography ech/o- (echo; sound wave) (EK-oh-KAR-dee-AW-grah-fee) cardi/o- (heart) -graphy (process of recording) Endarterectomy endo- (innermost; within) (END-ar-ter-EK-toh-mee) arter/o- (artery) -ectomy (surgical removal) Folate a salt; compound of folic acid (fo-lat) Heparin Potent anticoagulant oral drug (hep- -rin) Homocysteine Test as part of cardiac risk assessment...
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...Narrative Report - Left sided hemiparesis due to an ischemic stroke by Clifford Choi on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 12:47am · I thank my mentors in neurology, integrative medicine, and my patient for his determination to overcome this. He is an atheist but believed in me and himself. The patient reports full recovery. Here is his letter 4 months later. He has given permission to publish the report. He is back to work, travelling, driving, and has no known deficits. 80% of ischemic strokes survive the stroke, but it is uncertain how many fully recover 100% function. _________________________________________________ Dear Dr. Clifford Choi, I tried to call the number you once gave me, but they told at the hospital SEIMC that you were not working there anymore. Anyway I just wanted to touch base and say hello to you and thank you and the colleagues you had at the hospital. The recovery has been very amazing. I was last week at this intensive rehabilitation (or so it was called) session at the _________ University hospital. I was supposed to be there the whole week, but they said that I’m actually in too good shape to gain anything from this anymore, so I left Wednesday morning. I’m allowed to drive now, and officially I will be back to work on August 26th. I can call you, if you want. But then I would need your phone number. The world is a small place, so maybe we some day run into each other. You never know. Best regards, patient x The report below was submitted...
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...treating it then it increases the chances of having a stroke. Having a high blood pressure is the biggest reason and factor which causes stokes. The 50 percent of strokes that occur are due to some blockage called the ischemic stroke. It also increases the chances of bleeding occurring in the brain which is called the hemorrhagic stroke (Willmot, Leonardi-Bee, & Bath, 2004). Having a high blood pressure puts a lot of pressure and strain on the blood vessels throughout the body which includes the ones which lead to the brain. Due to which, the heart has to work hard in order to make sure that the blood circulation keeps on going. This strain that occurs damages the blood vessels which make them harder and narrower. This condition is called atherosclerosis. This makes it more likely that the blockage will occur which causes a stroke or transient ischaemic attack which is also called the mini stroke (Chobanian et al., 2003). On some very rare instances, the extra strain causes the blood vessels to get weak and burst inside the brain which causes bleeding into the surrounding tissues. This is called as a hemorrhagic stroke. The common symptoms of having a stroke include severe headache, confusion, losing coordination, losing vision, feeling numb or weak. The symptoms depend on the amount of damage which has been done to the brain. A stroke often leads to physical disability. It is possible for people who have had strokes in their life to recover the abilities that they lost over...
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...Stroke Prevention Christina Thompson Grand Canyon Stroke Prevention What is a stroke? For my teaching plan I chose cognitive learning and so I created a poster-board and discussion on stroke explaining what a stroke is and signs and symptoms of one. The teaching itself consisted spending a lot of time at my community health department, specifically with the community health nurse, getting to know what their role is and how they accomplish much of what they do. She helped me set aside some time and a place to present the information. We did find it a little difficult with the demands of the assignment and their time because they had other obligations but were helpful and made time for me. They gave me suggestions and ideas and talked to me about the best approach for teaching my community would be receptive to. A poster board was discussed and decided upon after discussing the other options. They explained that most people in this learning group would not sit through a powerpoint and enjoy talking and telling their stories so with a poster-board they can browse and talk and pick up little take-aways. The nurse did explain that my local hospital that most of our community uses does not offer any free services and most of the services come from an adjacent hospital who provide them with a lot of free services and resources. So to be aware they will not appreciate where I am coming from but will appreciate that I am trying to learn. I also consulted with a teacher friend...
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...Case Study James Morasco College of Southern Nevada – Nursing 211 Clinical Professor Judith Alewel, MSN, RN October 15, 2012 Introduction AV is a 57 year old male whom presented to the Emergency Department of Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas, NV on September 7, 2012 with the classic signs and symptoms of a left-sided middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct and was admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU). These signs included left sided facial drooping, non-reactive left pupil, right sided weakness in the upper and lower extremities, and the inability to speak. Along with the signs and symptoms of the stroke, a 12-lead EKG revealed that he also has atrial fibrillation. The initial computerized tomography (CT) scan of his brain revealed nothing, but a subsequent MRA (magnetic resonance angiogram) concluded that he did, in fact, have an occluded branch of the left MCA that eventually converted to become hemorrhagic and he was admitted to the MICU. The MRA also found a persistent left trigeminal artery, which is insignificant to his presenting disease process. Along with all of this, a two dimensional echocardiogram revealed some significant hearts problems that will be discussed later. I cared for this patient during the clinical shift on September 18, 2012. History and Physical The only history and physical that was available in this patient’s chart was some narrative comments from his daughter notated by the physician, and this is most likely due to...
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