Stroke
paralysis to half the body
How long do you have between the door and CT? What is the CT looking for?
45 min, blood in the brain, can not give tPa for hemorrhagic stroke, negative CT not hemorrhagic, should be given with no contrast
Why do these patient typically have foleys?
to help maintain accurate I&Os, and so the bladder is not as stimulated
What is hemiparesis?
numbness or weakness to half the body
Preventative pharmacologic therapy
anti-platelet agents- warfarin, xarelto, aspirin
antihypertensive therapy- beta blockers, ace inhibitors
cholesterol lowering drugs- lipitor, and those that end in statin
Ways to promote verbal communication in stroke patients?
allow time for patient to respond, face the patient, speak slowly, don't yell and use short sentences
what is flaccidity?
no muscle tone
Who has to clear a stroke patient before they are able to eat or drink?
speech therapy
ways to promote urinary and bowel elimination?
encourage bladder training, teach kegel exercises, encourage adequate fluid intake, high-fiber diet, admin prescribed stool softeners
What is spasticity?
increased muscle tone with weakness, not coordinated muscle function
what disorder makes pregnant women more likely to have a stroke?
preeclampsia, increased risk in third trimester and 6 weeks postpartum
what precautions should these patients be on?
aspiration precautions, dysphagia can cause choking, drooling, aspiration pneumonia and regurgitation
give thickened liquids
what is the only clot buster? in what time frame does it need to be administered? what does BP have to be?
tPa, within 3-4 hours, systolic under 185
-if they have had recent GI bleed, brain bleed or surgery they can't have tPa
Why should you avoid prolonged suctioning?
increases intracranial pressure
why should you always do a figerstick glucose in patients with suspected stroke?
low blood sugar can mimic stoke symptoms