AACN NEURO-encepalopathy
BLUEPRINT ACNPC-AG STUDY
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS!
Encephalopathy - Answer - Definition: Inability to carry out a coherent plan of thought or
Action.
What mental status exam tests would you do in an
encephalopathic patient? level of alertness, orientation, and attention
What test for encephalopathy? Vital signs and labs; Brain imaging can be normal but EEG shows
encephalopathy, EEG can be useful for testing encephalopathy because [1] can help to differentiate
neuro vs. psych; [2]. Rule out subclinical seizures or "non-convulsive status epilepticus" (encephalopathy
mimic)
Mimics of Encephalopathy include: Dementia with Lewy Bodies; REM sleep behavior disorder (act out
dreams) and parasomnias (sleepwalking); Wernicke's aphasia; Psychosis, mania, depression;
Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (last two: differentiate with EEG)
The hallmark of encephalopathy is: Impaired ATTENTION (early finding in delirium, late
finding in dementia)
Symptoms of encephalopathy include: Hallucinations, delusions, agitation or lethargy; Irritation to light
touch; Withdraw limbs unequally; Asterixis, myoclonus, tremor, sometimes hyperreflexia (acute liver
malfunction)/hyporeflexia (thyroid derangement)
T/F: Encephalopathy is often multifactorial: TRUE
Why does encephalopathy occur? Metabolic homeostasis imbalance
What can global disruption of metabolic homeostasis result in:
, AACN NEURO-encepalopathy
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QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS!
Behavior change, poor coordination, ataxia, confusion, seizures, stupor and coma; May be a lag in
recovery of CNS symptoms after the metabolic problem is corrected
Encephalopathy causes include:
VIITTAMIN: Vascular, Inflammatory, Infectious, Traumatic, Toxins, Autoimmune, Metabolic,
Idopathic/Genetic; Neoplastic
Vascular- Hypertensive encephalopathy
Inflammatory- Urinary tract infection in elderly; Infection of the
CNS (encephalitis)
Infectious- meningitis
Traumatic, Toxins,
Autoimmune,
Metabolic- endocrine disorders that cause
encepha
What mental status exam tests would you do in an
encephalopathic patient? - Answer - level of alertness, orientation, and attention
What test for encephalopathy? - Answer - Vital signs and labs; Brain imaging can be normal but EEG
shows encephalopathy,
EEG can be useful for testing encephalopathy because - Answer - [1] can help to differentiate neuro vs.
psych;
[2]. Rule out subclinical seizures or "non-convulsive status epilepticus" (encephalopathy mimic)
BLUEPRINT ACNPC-AG STUDY
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS!
Encephalopathy - Answer - Definition: Inability to carry out a coherent plan of thought or
Action.
What mental status exam tests would you do in an
encephalopathic patient? level of alertness, orientation, and attention
What test for encephalopathy? Vital signs and labs; Brain imaging can be normal but EEG shows
encephalopathy, EEG can be useful for testing encephalopathy because [1] can help to differentiate
neuro vs. psych; [2]. Rule out subclinical seizures or "non-convulsive status epilepticus" (encephalopathy
mimic)
Mimics of Encephalopathy include: Dementia with Lewy Bodies; REM sleep behavior disorder (act out
dreams) and parasomnias (sleepwalking); Wernicke's aphasia; Psychosis, mania, depression;
Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (last two: differentiate with EEG)
The hallmark of encephalopathy is: Impaired ATTENTION (early finding in delirium, late
finding in dementia)
Symptoms of encephalopathy include: Hallucinations, delusions, agitation or lethargy; Irritation to light
touch; Withdraw limbs unequally; Asterixis, myoclonus, tremor, sometimes hyperreflexia (acute liver
malfunction)/hyporeflexia (thyroid derangement)
T/F: Encephalopathy is often multifactorial: TRUE
Why does encephalopathy occur? Metabolic homeostasis imbalance
What can global disruption of metabolic homeostasis result in:
, AACN NEURO-encepalopathy
BLUEPRINT ACNPC-AG STUDY
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS!
Behavior change, poor coordination, ataxia, confusion, seizures, stupor and coma; May be a lag in
recovery of CNS symptoms after the metabolic problem is corrected
Encephalopathy causes include:
VIITTAMIN: Vascular, Inflammatory, Infectious, Traumatic, Toxins, Autoimmune, Metabolic,
Idopathic/Genetic; Neoplastic
Vascular- Hypertensive encephalopathy
Inflammatory- Urinary tract infection in elderly; Infection of the
CNS (encephalitis)
Infectious- meningitis
Traumatic, Toxins,
Autoimmune,
Metabolic- endocrine disorders that cause
encepha
What mental status exam tests would you do in an
encephalopathic patient? - Answer - level of alertness, orientation, and attention
What test for encephalopathy? - Answer - Vital signs and labs; Brain imaging can be normal but EEG
shows encephalopathy,
EEG can be useful for testing encephalopathy because - Answer - [1] can help to differentiate neuro vs.
psych;
[2]. Rule out subclinical seizures or "non-convulsive status epilepticus" (encephalopathy mimic)
