Stroke: Nursing Management Exam Questions and
answers
Ischemia - ✅✅inadequate blood flow
Stroke - ✅✅Ischemia to a apart of the brain that results in death of brain cells. Functions are lost of
impaired. Severity of loss of function varies accordingly to the location and extent of brain tissue
involvement.
Cerebral autoregulation - ✅✅Compensation to keep blood supply to the brain. Regulates the
diameter of blood vessels. Collateral circulation helps maintain cerebral perfusion as there is more than
one way for blood supply if there is a blockage
Stroke facts - ✅✅3rd most common cause of death in US and Canada, leading cause of disability, 35%
of people with an initial stroke die within one year
Stroke risk factors - ✅✅Modifiable: HTN (most significant), diabetes (5x risk), heart disease-atrial fib
(causes 20%), smoking, heavy alcohol consumption
Non-modifiable: age, gender, race, heredity, family history
Stroke prevention - ✅✅Smoking cessation, limiting excessive alcohol intake, healthy diet, weight
control
Antiplatelet drugs with TIA pts., ASA
Close management and control of diabetes mellitus, HTN, obesity, high serum lipids, cardiac dysfunction
Stroke classifications - ✅✅TIA: transient ischemic attack-neurologic deficits, resolve in 24 hours
, Stroke or CVA: 2 main categories-ischemic (clot blocks O2 to area of brain) and hemorrhagic (bleeding in
brain tissue)
TIA - ✅✅-Temporary focal loss of neurological function (s/s depend on blood vessels involved and are
of brain that is ischemic)
-Caused by ischemia
-Warning sign of progressive CVA (showing blockage somewhere)
Stroke diagnostics - ✅✅-CT of brain without contrast to indicate location and size of lesion and
differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke
-CT within 25 minutes of arrival to ER-within 45 minutes reading completed and treatment begins
Ischemic stroke - ✅✅Partial of complete occlusion of an artery
80% of all CVA's
Subarachnoid hemorrhagic stroke - ✅✅-Caused from ruptured aneurysm, AV malformation
(abnormal connection b/w arteries and veins-weakening in wall), and tumors
-Bleeding into CSF-filled space between layers of membrane on surface of the brain
-Young and middle age adults
-Sudden severe headache, N/V, photophobia, HTN
Intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke - ✅✅-Caused by chronic HTN, anticoagulant therapy, aneurysms
-Affects elderly population
-Characterized by gradual development and headache, N/V, LOC changes
answers
Ischemia - ✅✅inadequate blood flow
Stroke - ✅✅Ischemia to a apart of the brain that results in death of brain cells. Functions are lost of
impaired. Severity of loss of function varies accordingly to the location and extent of brain tissue
involvement.
Cerebral autoregulation - ✅✅Compensation to keep blood supply to the brain. Regulates the
diameter of blood vessels. Collateral circulation helps maintain cerebral perfusion as there is more than
one way for blood supply if there is a blockage
Stroke facts - ✅✅3rd most common cause of death in US and Canada, leading cause of disability, 35%
of people with an initial stroke die within one year
Stroke risk factors - ✅✅Modifiable: HTN (most significant), diabetes (5x risk), heart disease-atrial fib
(causes 20%), smoking, heavy alcohol consumption
Non-modifiable: age, gender, race, heredity, family history
Stroke prevention - ✅✅Smoking cessation, limiting excessive alcohol intake, healthy diet, weight
control
Antiplatelet drugs with TIA pts., ASA
Close management and control of diabetes mellitus, HTN, obesity, high serum lipids, cardiac dysfunction
Stroke classifications - ✅✅TIA: transient ischemic attack-neurologic deficits, resolve in 24 hours
, Stroke or CVA: 2 main categories-ischemic (clot blocks O2 to area of brain) and hemorrhagic (bleeding in
brain tissue)
TIA - ✅✅-Temporary focal loss of neurological function (s/s depend on blood vessels involved and are
of brain that is ischemic)
-Caused by ischemia
-Warning sign of progressive CVA (showing blockage somewhere)
Stroke diagnostics - ✅✅-CT of brain without contrast to indicate location and size of lesion and
differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke
-CT within 25 minutes of arrival to ER-within 45 minutes reading completed and treatment begins
Ischemic stroke - ✅✅Partial of complete occlusion of an artery
80% of all CVA's
Subarachnoid hemorrhagic stroke - ✅✅-Caused from ruptured aneurysm, AV malformation
(abnormal connection b/w arteries and veins-weakening in wall), and tumors
-Bleeding into CSF-filled space between layers of membrane on surface of the brain
-Young and middle age adults
-Sudden severe headache, N/V, photophobia, HTN
Intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke - ✅✅-Caused by chronic HTN, anticoagulant therapy, aneurysms
-Affects elderly population
-Characterized by gradual development and headache, N/V, LOC changes
