Neuro Assessment
This scale, scored from 3 to 15, is commonly used to assess level of consciousness.
What is the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)?
A patient suddenly has facial droop, arm weakness, and slurred speech.
What is a stroke?
This vessel is most commonly occluded in an ischemic stroke.
What is the middle cerebral artery (MCA)?
This neurological emergency is defined as a seizure lasting longer than this amount of time.
What is 5 minutes?
Your patient has been seizing continuously for 6 minutes. This medication should be your first choice.
What is lorazepam (Ativan)?
A positive finding on this plantar reflex is normal in infants but concerning in adults.
What is the Babinski sign
A patient suddenly develops the “worst headache of my life” followed by vomiting and neck stiffness.
What is a subarachnoid hemorrhage?
This imaging study should be obtained immediately before considering thrombolytics.
What is a non-contrast CT head?
This autoimmune disease causes demyelination within the central nervous system.
What is multiple sclerosis?
A patient taking warfarin develops an intracranial hemorrhage. This vitamin is part of the reversal strategy.
What is vitamin K?
This assessment evaluates orientation by asking about person, place, time, and situation.
What is the mental status exam (A&O ×4)
A patient has fluent speech that makes little sense and cannot follow simple commands.
What is Wernicke’s aphasia?
This NIH stroke scale finding suggests neglect and usually indicates a right hemispheric stroke.
What is hemispatial neglect (or extinction/inattention)?
Resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability are classic findings of this disease.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
“Elevated ICP. Administer ____.”
What is mannitol?
This reflex is often the first thing everyone checks after intubating a neuro patient.
What is the pupillary light reflex?
A patient reports ascending weakness that began in the feet after a recent gastrointestinal illness.
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?
This artery is nicknamed the “widow maker” of ischemic strokes because of how commonly it’s involved.
What is the middle cerebral artery (MCA)?
This type of seizure involves impaired awareness and was formerly called a complex partial seizure.
What is a focal impaired awareness seizure?
This sedative is commonly used in the ICU because it lowers cerebral metabolic demand and can help reduce intracranial pressure.
What is propofol
This syndrome is classically described by hypertension, bradycardia, and irregular respirations.
What is Cushing’s triad?
A patient has binocular diplopia that worsens throughout the day and improves with rest.
What is myasthenia gravis?
Current guidelines generally recommend thrombolytic therapy within this time window from symptom onset for eligible patients.
What is 4.5 hours?
A sudden “worst headache of my life” should immediately raise suspicion for this condition.
What is a subarachnoid hemorrhage?
This medication has probably started more debates between nurses and providers than any other drug after a stroke.
What is tPA (alteplase)?