Chapter 17 - Seizures & Syncope
Febrile seizures: a. are usually benign but should be evaluated. b. occur when a child's fever rises slowly. c. often result in permanent brain damage. d. are also referred to as absence seizures.
a
When transporting a stable stroke patient with a paralyzed extremity, place the patient in a: a. recumbent position with the paralyzed side down. b. sitting position with the head at a 45° to 90° angle. c. supine position with the legs elevated 6 feet to 12 feet. d. recumbent position with the paralyzed side up.
a
You arrive at a local grocery store approximately 5 minutes after a 21-year-old female stopped seizing. She is confused and disoriented; she keeps asking you what happened and tells you that she is thirsty. Her brother, who witnessed the seizure, tells you that she takes valproate (Depakote) for her seizures, but has not taken it in a few days. He also tells you that she has diabetes. In addition to administering oxygen, you should: a. monitor her airway and breathing status and assess her blood glucose level. b. place her in the recovery position and transport her with lights and siren. c. give her small cups of water to drink and observe for further seizure activity. d. administer one tube of oral glucose and prepare for immediate transport.
a
A transient ischemic attack (TLA) occurs when: a. medications are given to dissolve a cerebral blood clot. b. signs and symptoms resolve spontaneously within 48 hours. c. a small clot in a cerebral artery causes temporary symptoms. d. a small cerebral artery ruptures and causes minimal damage.
c
The most basic functions of the body, such as breathing, blood pressure, and swallowing, are controlled by the: a. cerebral cortex. b. cerebellum. c. brain stem. d. cerebrum.
c
Individuals with chronic alcoholism are predisposed to intracranial bleeding and hypoglycemia secondary to abnormalities in the: a. pancreas. b. kidneys. c. brain. d. liver.
d
The mental status of a patient who has experienced a generalized seizure: a. typically does not improve, even after several minutes. b. is easily differentiated from that of acute hypoglycemia. c. progressively worsens over a period of a few hours. d. is likely to improve over a period of 5 to 30 minutes.
d
Which of the following is a metabolic cause of a seizure? a. Head trauma b. Brain tumor c. Massive stroke d. Poisoning
d
You arrive at the residence of a 33-year-old woman who is experiencing a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure. She has a small amount of vomitus draining from the side of her mouth. After protecting her from further injury, you should: a. maintain her airway with manual head positioning, suction her airway to remove the vomitus, insert a nasopharyngeal airway, and administer high-flow oxygen. b. wait for the seizure to stop, manually open her airway, insert an oropharyngeal airway, and assess her oxygen saturation with the pulse oximeter. c. restrain her extremities to prevent her from injuring herself, suction her airway to remove the vomitus, and assist her ventilations with a bag-mask device. d. place a bite block in between her teeth, apply high-flow oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask, and consider inserting a nasopharyngeal airway.
a
You are dispatched to a residence for a 66-year-old male who, according to family members, has suffered a massive stroke. Your primary assessment reveals that the patient is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. You should: a. perform CPR for 5 minutes before applying the AED. b. obtain a blood glucose sample to rule out hypoglycemia. c. assess the patient for a facial droop and hemiparesis. d. initiate CPR and attach an AED as soon as possible.
d