NURS2700 Stroke Exam With
Complete Solution
What are the priority concepts for CVA?
What are the interrelated concepts for CVA? - Answer Priority concepts - perfusion and
cognition
Interrelated concepts - mobility and sensory perception
What is a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)? - Answer A TIA is a brief interruption in
cerebral blood flow often caused by carotid stenosis that results in a temporary
neurologic dysfunction. TIA's are warning signs for future ischemic strokes, so the
patient must seek treatment.
Acute neurologic deficit caused by a focal brain ischemia that lasts minutes to hours
without evidence of infarction.
What is the assessment tool used to score patients that have a TIA? - Answer The
ABCD2 tool - The ABCD2 Score is a risk assessment tool designed to improve the
prediction of short-term stroke risk after a transient ischemic attack (TIA). The score is
optimized to predict the risk of stroke within 2 days after a TIA, but also predicts stroke
risk within 90 days.
Age
Blood pressure
Clinical Presentation
Duration of symptoms
Diabetes mellitus
What are the two main arteries that delivery oxygenated blood to the brain? - Answer
The internal carotid arteries and the vertebral carotid arteries
The internal carotid arteries supply the anterior portion and the vertebral carotid
arteries supply the posterior portion.
Blood supplies oxygen and glucose to neurons. In order to function, the brain needs
about ____% of the cardiac output. - Answer 20%
When there is a total interruption in blood flow, what happens after...
30 seconds?
, 2 minutes?
5 minutes? - Answer Total interruption in blood flow:
•30 seconds: metabolism interrupted
•2 minutes: metabolism stops
•5 minutes: cellular death
When blood flow is altered to the brain, what system helps maintain a constant flow?
How is this possible? - Answer Cerebral autoregulation
The Circle of Willis
Describe the Circle of Willis - Answer Due to the presence of the CoW, if one of the
vessels supplying blood to the brain is narrowed or blocked completely, the other
vessels can preserve the cerebral perfusion pressure (i.e., the net pressure gradient
causing cerebral blood flow to the brain) well enough to prevent the onset of a condition
called ischemia (i.e., restriction of blood supply to tissues).
The circle of Willis gives rise to the other arteries that supply blood to the cerebral
hemispheres and ensures continuity of the blood supply to the brain if any of the arteries
are compromised.
In a nutshell, the _____ ____ _____ acts as a safety valve for the brain and makes sure that
it sits comfortably at the top, without having to worry about any blood supply issues. -
Answer Circle of Willis
Strokes are classified based on cause and underlying pathophysiologic findings.
Describe Ischemic and Hemorrhagic strokes. - Answer Ischemic consist of thrombotic
or embolic
-Thrombosis is the process of clot formation over time, narrowing the vessel and
eventually blocking it. Plaque formation contributes to this because plaque is sticky.
-Embolus is a clot or other debris that is circulating until it reaches an artery that is too
narrow for it to pass and it gets lodged.
•Hemmorrhagic-bleeding into the brain, subarachnoid space, or ventricles.- HTN most
common cause, prognosis poor: 30-day mortality 40-80%- can be caused by aneurysm,
trauma, or illicit drug use
Ischemic stroke - Answer a type of stroke that occurs when the flow of blood to the brain
is blocked
Hemorrhagic stroke - Answer occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures;
also known as a bleed
Which kind of ischemic stroke is the most common?
Complete Solution
What are the priority concepts for CVA?
What are the interrelated concepts for CVA? - Answer Priority concepts - perfusion and
cognition
Interrelated concepts - mobility and sensory perception
What is a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)? - Answer A TIA is a brief interruption in
cerebral blood flow often caused by carotid stenosis that results in a temporary
neurologic dysfunction. TIA's are warning signs for future ischemic strokes, so the
patient must seek treatment.
Acute neurologic deficit caused by a focal brain ischemia that lasts minutes to hours
without evidence of infarction.
What is the assessment tool used to score patients that have a TIA? - Answer The
ABCD2 tool - The ABCD2 Score is a risk assessment tool designed to improve the
prediction of short-term stroke risk after a transient ischemic attack (TIA). The score is
optimized to predict the risk of stroke within 2 days after a TIA, but also predicts stroke
risk within 90 days.
Age
Blood pressure
Clinical Presentation
Duration of symptoms
Diabetes mellitus
What are the two main arteries that delivery oxygenated blood to the brain? - Answer
The internal carotid arteries and the vertebral carotid arteries
The internal carotid arteries supply the anterior portion and the vertebral carotid
arteries supply the posterior portion.
Blood supplies oxygen and glucose to neurons. In order to function, the brain needs
about ____% of the cardiac output. - Answer 20%
When there is a total interruption in blood flow, what happens after...
30 seconds?
, 2 minutes?
5 minutes? - Answer Total interruption in blood flow:
•30 seconds: metabolism interrupted
•2 minutes: metabolism stops
•5 minutes: cellular death
When blood flow is altered to the brain, what system helps maintain a constant flow?
How is this possible? - Answer Cerebral autoregulation
The Circle of Willis
Describe the Circle of Willis - Answer Due to the presence of the CoW, if one of the
vessels supplying blood to the brain is narrowed or blocked completely, the other
vessels can preserve the cerebral perfusion pressure (i.e., the net pressure gradient
causing cerebral blood flow to the brain) well enough to prevent the onset of a condition
called ischemia (i.e., restriction of blood supply to tissues).
The circle of Willis gives rise to the other arteries that supply blood to the cerebral
hemispheres and ensures continuity of the blood supply to the brain if any of the arteries
are compromised.
In a nutshell, the _____ ____ _____ acts as a safety valve for the brain and makes sure that
it sits comfortably at the top, without having to worry about any blood supply issues. -
Answer Circle of Willis
Strokes are classified based on cause and underlying pathophysiologic findings.
Describe Ischemic and Hemorrhagic strokes. - Answer Ischemic consist of thrombotic
or embolic
-Thrombosis is the process of clot formation over time, narrowing the vessel and
eventually blocking it. Plaque formation contributes to this because plaque is sticky.
-Embolus is a clot or other debris that is circulating until it reaches an artery that is too
narrow for it to pass and it gets lodged.
•Hemmorrhagic-bleeding into the brain, subarachnoid space, or ventricles.- HTN most
common cause, prognosis poor: 30-day mortality 40-80%- can be caused by aneurysm,
trauma, or illicit drug use
Ischemic stroke - Answer a type of stroke that occurs when the flow of blood to the brain
is blocked
Hemorrhagic stroke - Answer occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures;
also known as a bleed
Which kind of ischemic stroke is the most common?
