Chapter 14: Care of the Patient with a Neurologic Disorder
What is the cardinal sign of increased intracranial pressure in a brain injured patient?
Decrease in the level of consciousness
A patient, age 45, is to have a myelogram to confirm the presence of a herniated intervertebral disk. Which nursing action should be planned with respect to this diagnostic test?
Obtain an allergy history before the test.
What is the cranial nerve that supplies most of the organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities and also carries motor fibers to glands that produce digestive juices and other secretions?
Vagus nerve
Which question is likely to elicit the most valid response from the patient who is being interviewed about a neurologic problem?
"Can you describe the sensations you are having?"
A patient has recently suffered a stroke with left-sided weakness and has problems with choking, especially when drinking thin liquids. What nursing interventions would be most helpful in assisting this patient to swallow safely?
Tuck chin when swallowing
As the result of a stroke, a patient has difficulty discerning the position of his body without looking at it. In the nurse's documentation, which would best describe the patient's inability to assess spatial position of his body?
Proprioception
What Glasgow Coma Scale rating would a patient receive who opens the eyes spontaneously, but has incomprehensible speech and obeys commands for movement?
12
How would a nurse record the behavior when a patient with Alzheimer disease attempts to eat using a napkin rather than a fork?
Agnosia
The nurse is aware that when assessing a patient by the FOUR score coma scale, the patient is assessed in four categories: eye response, brainstem reflexes, motor response, and respiration. How are these results reported?
As individual scores in each category
What are the two divisions of the nervous system?
Central and the peripheral
What are surgical navigational systems?
Computerized devices that guide the surgeon
The nurse assures an anxious family member of a 92-year-old patient who is demonstrating signs of dementia that many causes of dementia are reversible and preventable. What is one example?
Hypotension
A family member of a patient who has just suffered a tonic-clonic seizure is concerned about the patient's deep sleep. What is this behavior called?
Postictal period
Which symptom is specific to migraine headaches?
They are preceded by an aura
What is the nurse assessing when asking the patient, "Who is the president of the United States?" during a level of consciousness assessment?
Fund of knowledge
The newly admitted patient to the emergency room 30 minutes ago after a fall off a ladder has gradually decreased in consciousness and has slowly reacting pupils, a widening pulse pressure, and verbal responses that are slow and unintelligible. What is the most appropriate position for the patient?
Neck placed in a neutral position
