CC Ch. 67

A nurse is instructing the wife of a patient who suffered a stroke about the use of eating devices her husband will be using. During the teaching, the wife starts to cry and states "One minute my husband is laughing, and the next he's crying; I just don't understand what's wrong with him." The nurse's best response is which of the following?

"Following a stroke, emotional lability is common, and it usually improves with time."

A client recently experienced a stroke with accompanying left-sided paralysis. His family voices concerns about how to best interact with him. They report the client doesn't seem aware of their presence when they approach him on his left side. What advice should the nurse give the family?

"The client is unaware of his left side. You should approach him on the right side."

A nurse knows that, for a patient with an ischemic stroke, tPA is contraindicated if the blood pressure reading is:

190 mm Hg/120 mm Hg

A patient is admitted via ambulance to the emergency room of a stroke center at 1:30 p.m. with symptoms that the patient said began at 1:00 p.m. Within 1 hour, an ischemic stroke had been confirmed and the doctor ordered tPA. The nurse knows to give this drug no later than what time?

4:00 p.m.

An emergency department nurse understands that a 110-lb recent stroke victim will receive at least the minimum dose of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). What minimum dose will the patient receive?

50 mg The patient is weighed to determine the dose of t-PA. Typically, two or more IV sites are established prior to administration of t-PA (one for the t-PA and the other for administration of IV fluids). The dosage for t-PA is 0.9 mg/kg, with a maximum dose of 90 mg.

A 154-pound woman has been prescribed tPA (0.9 mg/kg) for an ischemic stroke. The nurse knows to give how many mg initially?

6.3 mg

A nurse is assisting with a community screening for people at high risk for stroke. To which of the following clients would the nurse pay most attention?

A 60-year-old African-American man

Which of the following terms refer to the failure to recognize familiar objects perceived by the senses?

Agnosia

A client with a history of atrial fibrillation has experienced a TIA. In an effort to reduce the risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), the nurse anticipates the medical treatment to include which of the following?

Anticoagulant therapy

The nurse is taking care of a client with a headache. In addition to administering medications, the nurse takes measures to assist the client in reducing the pain associated with his headache. Which of the following appropriate nursing interventions may be provided by the nurse to assist this client in reducing or eliminating his pain?

Apply warm or cool cloths to the forehead or back of the neck.

Which of the following terms refer to the inability to perform previously learned purposeful motor acts on a voluntary basis?

Apraxia

A patient diagnosed with a stroke is ordered to receive warfarin (Coumadin). 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 which of the following?

Aspirin

If warfarin is contraindicated as a treatment for stroke, which of the following medication is the best option?

Aspirin

Which of the following, if left untreated, can lead to an ischemic stroke?

Atrial fibrillation

A client has just been diagnosed with an aneurysm. In planning discharge teaching for this client, what instructions should be delivered by the nurse to the client?

Avoid heavy lifting.

Which of the following is the most common side effect of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)?

Bleeding

A 73-year-old client is visiting the neurologist. The client reports light-headedness, speech disturbance, and left-sided weakness that have lasted for several hours. In the examination, an abnormal sound is auscultated in an artery leading to the brain. What is the term for the auscultated discovery?

Bruit

While making your initial rounds after coming on shift, you find a client thrashing about in bed complaining of a severe headache. The client tells you the pain is behind their right eye which is red and tearing. What type of headache would you suspect this client of having?

Cluster

A nurse practitioner is presenting health information about strokes at a clinic. She mentions that there are five categories of strokes based on their origin. Which of the following is the category that has the highest incidence of strokes (30%)?

Cryptogenic

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

Difficulty swallowing

After a stroke, a client is admitted to the facility. The client has left-sided weakness and an absent gag reflex. He's incontinent and has a tarry stool. His blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg, and his hemoglobin is 10 g. Which nursing intervention is a priority for this client?

Elevating the head of the bed to 30 degrees

The nurse is caring for a patient with aphasia. Which of the following strategies will the nurse use to facilitate communication with the patient?

Establishing eye contact

A patient has been diagnosed as having global aphasia. The nurse recognizes that the patient will be unable to do which of the following actions?

Form understandable words and comprehend the spoken word

From which direction should a nurse approach a client who is blind in the right eye?

From the left side of the client

During assessment of cognitive impairment, post stroke, the nurse documents that the patient was experiencing memory loss and impaired learning capacity. The nurse knows that brain damage has most likely occurred in which lobe?

Frontal

A patient with neurological disorder has difficulty swallowing. The nurse should take special care of the patient's diet because of a potential risk of imbalanced nutrition in the patient. Which of the following measures may be taken by the nurse to ensure that the patient's diet allows for easy swallowing?

Help the patient sit upright when eating and feed slowly

A client undergoes cerebral angiography for evaluation after an intracranial computed tomography scan revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Afterward, the nurse checks frequently for signs and symptoms of complications associated with this procedure. Which findings indicate spasm or occlusion of a cerebral vessel by a clot?

Hemiplegia, seizures, and decreased level of consciousness (LOC)

A physician orders several drugs for a client with hemorrhagic stroke. Which drug order should the nurse question?

Heparin sodium

Which of the following is a modifiable risk factor for transient ischemic attacks and ischemic strokes?

History of smoking.

Which of the following terms refers to blindness in the right or left halves of the visual fields of both eyes?

Homonymous hemianopsia

The nurse practitioner advises a patient who is at high risk for a stroke to be vigilant in his medication regime, to maintain a healthy weight, and to adopt a reasonable exercise program. This advice is based on research data that shows the most important risk factor for stroke is:

Hypertension

A client diagnosed with migraine headaches asks the nurse what they can do to help control the headaches and minimize the number of attacks they are having. What instructions should the nurse give this client?

Identify and avoid factors that precipitate or intensify an attack.

A 64-year-old client reports symptoms consistent with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) to the physician in the emergency department. After completing ordered diagnostic tests, the physician indicates to the client what caused the symptoms that brought him to the hospital. What is the origin of the client's symptoms?

Impaired cerebral circulation

You are caring for a client admitted with a stroke. Imaging studies indicate an embolus partially obstructing the right carotid artery. What type of stroke do you know this client has?

Ischemic

A nurse is working with a student nurse who is caring for a client with an acute bleeding cerebral aneurysm. Which action by the student nurse requires further intervention?

Keeping the client in one position to decrease bleeding

A client has experienced an ischemic stroke that has damaged the lower motor neurons of the brain. Which of the following deficits would the nurse expect during assessment?

Lack of deep tendon reflexes

A client has experienced an ischemic stroke that has damaged the frontal lobe of his brain. Which of the following deficits does the nurse expect to observe during assessment?

Limited attention span and forgetfulness

A patient who has suffered a stroke begins having complications regarding spasticity in the lower extremity. What ordered medication does the nurse administer to help alleviate this problem?

Lioresal (Baclofen)

Which of the following is accurate regarding a hemorrhagic stroke?

Main presenting symptom is an "exploding headache."

The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with a hemorrhagic stroke. The nurse recognizes that which of the following interventions is most important?

Maintaining a patent airway

A client who complains of recurring headaches, accompanied by increased irritability, photophobia, and fatigue is asked to track the headache symptoms and occurrence on a calendar log. Which is the best nursing rationale for this action?

Migraines often coincide with menstrual cycle.

A patient is suspected of having had a stroke. Which of the following is the initial diagnostic test for a stroke?

Noncontrast CT scan

A patient is brought to the emergency department with a possible stroke. What initial diagnostic test for a stroke, usually performed in the emergency department, would the nurse prepare the patient for?

Noncontrast computed tomogram

A male patient with CVA is prescribed medication to treat the disorder. The patient wants to know what other measures may help reduce CVA. Which of the following is an accurate suggestion for the patient?

Reduce hypertension and high blood cholesterol levels

A client on your unit is scheduled to have intracranial surgery in the morning. You know which nursing intervention helps to avoid intraoperative complications, reduce cerebral edema, and prevent postoperative vomiting?

Restrict fluids before surgery.

The nurse practitioner is able to correlate a patient's neurologic deficits with the location in the brain affected by ischemia or hemorrhage. For a patient with a left hemispheric stroke, the nurse would expect to see:

Right-sided paralysis.

An emergency department nurse is interviewing a client with signs of an ischemic stroke that began 2 hours ago. The client reports that she had a cholecystectomy 6 weeks ago and is taking digoxin, coumadin, and labetelol. This client is not eligible for thrombolytic therapy for which of the following reasons?

She is taking coumadin.

You are caring for a client with chronic migraines who is prescribed medication. What drug-related instructions should the nurse give the client?

Take medication as soon as symptoms of the migraine begin.

When should the nurse plan the rehabilitation of a patient who is having an ischemic stroke?

The day the patient has the stroke

A nurse is teaching a community class that those experiencing symptoms of ischemic stroke need to enter the medical system early. The primary reason for this is which of the following?

Thrombolytic therapy has a time window of only 3 hours.

A client is hospitalized when they present to the Emergency Department with right-sided weakness. Within 6 hours of being admitted, the neurologic deficits had resolved and the client was back to their presymptomatic state. The nurse caring for the client knows that the probable cause of the neurologic deficit was what?

Transient ischemic attack

The nurse plays a critical role in the initial work-up of a patient with acute stroke symptoms. An immediate decision is to determine if the stroke is ischemic or hemorrhagic. Although there is overlap in some motor, sensory, and cognitive changes, hemorrhagic strokes can be identified by some specific signs. Which of the following signs are consistent with a hemorrhagic stroke? Select all that apply.

• Seizures • Sudden, severe headache • Vomiting

A patient had a carotid endarterectomy yesterday and when the nurse arrived in the room to perform an assessment, the patient states, "All of a sudden, I am having trouble moving my right side." What concern should the nurse have about this complaint?

A thrombus formation at the site of the endarterectomy

A client is admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Which assessment by the nurse provides the most significant finding in differentiating between ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes?

A unit of fresh frozen plasma is infusing.

The provider diagnoses the patient as having had an ischemic stroke. The etiology of an ischemic stroke would include which of the following?

Cardiogenic emboli

A 76-year-old client is brought to the clinic by his daughter. The daughter states that her father has had two transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in the past week. The physician orders carotid angiography, and the report reveals that the carotid artery has been narrowed by atherosclerotic plaques. What treatment option does the nurse expect the physician to offer this client to increase blood flow to the brain?

Carotid endarterectomy

A patient presents to the emergency room with complaints of having an "exploding headache" for the last 2 hours. The patient is immediately seen by a triage nurse who suspects the patient is experiencing a stroke. Which of the following is a possible cause based on the characteristic symptom?

Cerebral aneurysm

A client is receiving an I.V. infusion of mannitol (Osmitrol) after undergoing intracranial surgery to remove a brain tumor. To determine whether this drug is producing its therapeutic effect, the nurse should consider which finding most significant?

Increased urine output

Which of the following would not be a recommended intervention for a patient with dysphagia?

Place food on the affected side of mouth

Which of the following symptoms characterizes Korsakoff syndrome?

Psychosis, disorientation, delirium, insomnia, and hallucinations

A nurse is completing discharge teaching for the client who has left-sided hemiparesis following a stroke. When investigating the client's home environment, the nurse should focus on which nursing diagnosis?

Risk for injury

The nurse is providing information about strokes to a community group. Which of the following would the nurse identify as the primary initial symptoms of an ischemic stroke?

Weakness on one side of the body and difficulty with speech

A physician orders aspirin, 325 mg P.O. daily for a client who has experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA). The nurse should teach the client that the physician has ordered this medication to:

reduce the chance of blood clot formation.

When communicating with a client who has sensory (receptive) aphasia, the nurse should:

use short, simple sentences.

A client is admitted with weakness, expressive aphasia, and right hemianopia. The brain MRI reveals an infarct. The nurse understands these symptoms to be suggestive of which of the following findings?

Left-sided cerebrovascular accident (CVA)