II 2750C
Stroke
Taylor College
Adult Health II 2750C
Stroke
A stroke is a medical emergency and is a sudden interruption in the blood supply of the
brain. Most strokes caused by an abrupt blockage of arteries leading to the brain (The internet
stroke center, n.d.). This paper I will be talking about diagnosis, symptoms/causes, diagnostic
tests to diagnosis, current evidence-based treatments, nursing considerations, and core measures
that relate to the condition and evidence-based treatments that improve patient outcomes.
Strokes, also known as cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) or brain attacks, involve a
disruption in the cerebral blood flow secondary to ischemia, hemorrhage, brain attack, or
embolism (Holman et al., 2019). This means that there is either blood leaking into brain tissue, a
development of a clot in a cerebral artery, or an embolus traveling from another part of the body
to a cerebral artery (Holman et al., 2019).
Signs and symptoms of stroke include trouble speaking and understanding what others
are saying, paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg, problems seeing in one or both eyes,
headache, and trouble walking (Stroke, 2021). If you see some of these signs and symptoms,
think F.A.S.T.; Face droop, able to raise arms, slurred speech, time to call 911 as soon as you
observe any of these signs (Stroke, 2021). Some of the causes include: uncontrolled high blood
pressure; overtreatment with blood thinners; bulges at weak spots in the blood vessel walls;
trauma; protein deposits in blood vessel walls that lead to weakness in the vessel wall; ischemic
stroke leading to hemorrhage; being overweight or obese; physical inactivity; heavy or binge
drinking; use of illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine; cigarette smoking or
secondhand smoke exposure; high cholesterol; diabetes; obstructive sleep apnea; cardiovascular
disease including heart failure, heart defects, heart infection or abnormal heart rhythm such as
, atrial fibrillation; personal or family history of stroke, heart attack or transient ischemic attack;
and COVID-19 infection (Stroke, 2021).
Once getting to the hospital, the emergency team will try to determine what type of stroke
they are having. There will be scans and tests that the hospital will do to determine possible rule
outs such as brain tumor or drug reaction (Stroke, 2021). Some of the tests include: a physical
exam, listening to the heart, checking the blood pressure, and doing a neurological exam; blood
tests, to check how fast the blood clots, checking the blood sugar to see if it is too high or too
low, and checking to see if there is an infection; computerized tomography (CT) scan, can show
a bleed in the brain, an ischemic stroke, a tumor or other conditions; magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), getting a detailed view of the brain which can detect brain tissue damaged by an ischemic
stroke and brain hemorrhages; carotid ultrasound, sound waves create detailed images of the
inside of the carotid arteries in the neck which shows buildup of fatty deposits and blood flow;
cerebral angiogram, inserting a thin, flexible catheter through a small incision, usually in the
groin, and guides it through the major arteries and into the carotid or vertebral artery;
echocardiogram, can find a source of clots in the heart that may have traveled from the heart to
the brain (Stroke, 2021).
During the treatment process, it will depend on what kind of stroke they are having,
ischemic or hemorrhagic, in order to properly treat the patient. During an ischemic stroke,
emergency IV medication will be given within the first 4.5 hours from when symptoms first
started (Stroke, 2021). In this time, tPA is the best treatment for ischemic stroke in the first three
to 4.5 hours after stroke symptoms started (Stroke, 2021). Doctors can also deliver medications
directly to the brain, by inserting a long, thin catheter through an artery in the groin and thread it
to the brain to deliver tPA; or remove a clot with a stent retriever, by using a device attached to a
catheter to remove a clot from a blocked blood vessel in the brain (Stroke, 2021). Other
procedures may include a carotid endarterectomy, where the doctor removes plaque blocking a
Stroke
Taylor College
Adult Health II 2750C
Stroke
A stroke is a medical emergency and is a sudden interruption in the blood supply of the
brain. Most strokes caused by an abrupt blockage of arteries leading to the brain (The internet
stroke center, n.d.). This paper I will be talking about diagnosis, symptoms/causes, diagnostic
tests to diagnosis, current evidence-based treatments, nursing considerations, and core measures
that relate to the condition and evidence-based treatments that improve patient outcomes.
Strokes, also known as cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) or brain attacks, involve a
disruption in the cerebral blood flow secondary to ischemia, hemorrhage, brain attack, or
embolism (Holman et al., 2019). This means that there is either blood leaking into brain tissue, a
development of a clot in a cerebral artery, or an embolus traveling from another part of the body
to a cerebral artery (Holman et al., 2019).
Signs and symptoms of stroke include trouble speaking and understanding what others
are saying, paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg, problems seeing in one or both eyes,
headache, and trouble walking (Stroke, 2021). If you see some of these signs and symptoms,
think F.A.S.T.; Face droop, able to raise arms, slurred speech, time to call 911 as soon as you
observe any of these signs (Stroke, 2021). Some of the causes include: uncontrolled high blood
pressure; overtreatment with blood thinners; bulges at weak spots in the blood vessel walls;
trauma; protein deposits in blood vessel walls that lead to weakness in the vessel wall; ischemic
stroke leading to hemorrhage; being overweight or obese; physical inactivity; heavy or binge
drinking; use of illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine; cigarette smoking or
secondhand smoke exposure; high cholesterol; diabetes; obstructive sleep apnea; cardiovascular
disease including heart failure, heart defects, heart infection or abnormal heart rhythm such as
, atrial fibrillation; personal or family history of stroke, heart attack or transient ischemic attack;
and COVID-19 infection (Stroke, 2021).
Once getting to the hospital, the emergency team will try to determine what type of stroke
they are having. There will be scans and tests that the hospital will do to determine possible rule
outs such as brain tumor or drug reaction (Stroke, 2021). Some of the tests include: a physical
exam, listening to the heart, checking the blood pressure, and doing a neurological exam; blood
tests, to check how fast the blood clots, checking the blood sugar to see if it is too high or too
low, and checking to see if there is an infection; computerized tomography (CT) scan, can show
a bleed in the brain, an ischemic stroke, a tumor or other conditions; magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), getting a detailed view of the brain which can detect brain tissue damaged by an ischemic
stroke and brain hemorrhages; carotid ultrasound, sound waves create detailed images of the
inside of the carotid arteries in the neck which shows buildup of fatty deposits and blood flow;
cerebral angiogram, inserting a thin, flexible catheter through a small incision, usually in the
groin, and guides it through the major arteries and into the carotid or vertebral artery;
echocardiogram, can find a source of clots in the heart that may have traveled from the heart to
the brain (Stroke, 2021).
During the treatment process, it will depend on what kind of stroke they are having,
ischemic or hemorrhagic, in order to properly treat the patient. During an ischemic stroke,
emergency IV medication will be given within the first 4.5 hours from when symptoms first
started (Stroke, 2021). In this time, tPA is the best treatment for ischemic stroke in the first three
to 4.5 hours after stroke symptoms started (Stroke, 2021). Doctors can also deliver medications
directly to the brain, by inserting a long, thin catheter through an artery in the groin and thread it
to the brain to deliver tPA; or remove a clot with a stent retriever, by using a device attached to a
catheter to remove a clot from a blocked blood vessel in the brain (Stroke, 2021). Other
procedures may include a carotid endarterectomy, where the doctor removes plaque blocking a
