neuro prep u

he GSC is used to measure the LOC. The scale consists of three parts: eye opening response, best verbal response, and best motor response. A normal response is

15. A score of 7 or less is considered comatose

The nurse obtains a Snellen eye chart when assessing cranial nerve function. Which cranial nerve is the nurse testing when using the chart?

CN II optic nerve

The nurse is performing a neurologic assessment on a client diagnosed with a stroke and cannot elicit a gag reflex. This deficit is related to which of the following cranial nerves?

CN X is the vagus nerve and has to do with the gag reflex, laryngeal hoarseness, swallowing ability, and the symmetrical rise of the uvula and soft palate.

The nurse who is employed in a neurologist's office is performing a history and assessment on a client experiencing hearing difficulty. The nurse is most correct to gather equipment to assess the function of which cranial nerve?

Cranial nerve VIII is the vestibulocochlear or auditory nerve responsible for hearing and balance

The trochlear nerve controls which function

Eye muscle movement

Which is the most common cause of acute encephalitis in the United States?

Herpes simplex virus

The nurse is caring for a client admitted with a stroke. Imaging studies indicate an embolus partially obstructing the right carotid artery. What type of stroke does the nurse know this client has?

Ischemic

The nurse is performing the physical examination of a client with a suspected neurologic disorder. In addition to assessing other parts of the body, the nurse should assess for neck rigidity. Which method should help the nurse assess for neck rigidity correctly?

Moving the head and chin toward the chest

A high school soccer player sustained five concussions before she was told that she should never play contact sports again. After her last injury, she began experiencing episodes of double vision. She was told that she had most likely incurred damage to which cranial nerve?

The abducens cranial nerve supports movement of the eye laterally. Damage to the nerve can cause double vision.

The nurse is caring for a patient having a hemorrhagic stroke. What position in the bed will the nurse maintain this patient?

The head of the bed is elevated 15 to 30 degrees (semi-Fowler's position) to promote venous drainage and decrease intracranial pressure.

A client is diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis. The 22-year-old client shares an apartment with one other person. What would the nurse expect as appropriate care for the client's roommate?

Treatment with antimicrobial prophylaxis as soon as possible

A client diagnosed with a stroke is ordered to receive warfarin. Later, the nurse learns that the warfarin is contraindicated and the order is canceled. The nurse knows that the best alternative medication to give is

aspirin

Which term refers to the inability to coordinate muscle movements, resulting difficulty walking?

ataxia

The nurse is assessing the throat of a client with throat pain. In asking the client to stick out the tongue, the nurse is also assessing which cranial nerve?

cranial nerve XII, the hypoglossal nerve

The nurse is caring for a client with a history of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and moderate carotid stenosis who has undergone a carotid endarterectomy. Which postoperative finding would cause the nurse the most concern?

difficultly swallowing

A nurse is providing care to a client who has had a stroke. Which symptoms are consistent with left-sided stroke?

expressive aphasia, defects in the right visual fields, problems with abstract thinking

The nurse has completed evaluating the client's cranial nerves. The nurse documents impairment of the right cervical nerves (CN IX and CN X). Based on these findings, the nurse should instruct the client to

refrain from eating or drinking for now. Explanation: Significant findings of CN IX (glossopharyngeal) include difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and impaired taste, and significant findings of CN X (vagus) include weak or absent gag reflex, difficulty swallowing, aspiration, hoarseness, and slurred speech (dysarthria)