Chapter 15

Which of the following MOST accurately describes the cause of an ischemic stroke?

blockage of a cerebral artery

A patient who is possibly experiencing a stroke is NOT eligible for thrombolytic (fibrinolytic) therapy if he or she:

has bleeding within the brain.

You are caring for a semiconscious man with left-sided paralysis. His airway is patent and his respirations are 14 breaths/min with adequate tidal volume. Treatment for this patient should include:

oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask, left lateral recumbent position, and transport.

The principal clinical difference between a stroke and hypoglycemia is that patients with hypoglycemia:

usually have an altered mental status or decreased level of consciousness.

What Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score would you assign to a patient who responds to painful stimuli, uses inappropriate words, and maintains his or her arms in a flexed position?

8

Which of the following patients would MOST likely demonstrate typical signs of infection, such as a fever?

a 17-year-old male with depression and anxiety

Which of the following MOST accurately describes a simple partial seizure?

a seizure that begins in one extremity

When caring for a patient with documented hypoglycemia, you should be MOST alert for:

a seizure.

An area of swelling or enlargement in a weakened arterial wall is called:

an aneurysm.

A 58-year-old male presents with confusion, right-sided weakness, and slurred speech. His wife is present and is very upset. As your partner is applying oxygen, it is MOST important for you to:

ask his wife when she noticed the symptoms.

Law enforcement has summoned you to a nightclub, where a 22-year-old female was found unconscious in an adjacent alley. Your primary assessment reveals that her respirations are rapid and shallow and her pulse is rapid and weak. She is wearing a medical alert bracelet that identifies her as an epileptic. There is an empty bottle of vodka next to the patient. You should:

assist ventilations, perform a rapid exam, and prepare for immediate transport.

Muscle control and body coordination are controlled by the:

cerebellum.

The three major parts of the brain are the:

cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem.

Which of the following MOST accurately describes what the patient will experience during the postictal state that follows a seizure?

confusion and fatigue

A 29-year-old male complains of a severe headache and nausea that has gradually worsened over the past 12 hours. He is conscious, alert, and oriented and tells you that his physician diagnosed him with migraine headaches. He further tells you that he has taken numerous different medications, but none of them seem to help. His blood pressure is 132/74 mm Hg, his pulse is 110 beats/min and strong, and his respirations are 20 breaths/min and adequate. In addition to high-flow oxygen, further treatment should include:

dimming the lights in the back of the ambulance and transporting without lights and siren.

A patient whose speech is slurred and difficult to understand is experiencing:

dysarthria.

During the primary assessment of a semiconscious 70-year-old female, you should:

ensure a patent airway and support ventilation as needed.

A patient without a history of seizures experiences a sudden convulsion. The LEAST likely cause of this seizure is:

epilepsy.

Which of the following medications is NOT used to treat patients with a history of seizures?

hydromorphone (Dilaudid)

Individuals with chronic alcoholism are predisposed to intracranial bleeding and hypoglycemia secondary to abnormalities in the:

liver.

A patient with an altered mental status is:

not thinking clearly or is incapable of being aroused.

You arrive at a grocery store shortly after a 35-year-old male stopped seizing. Your assessment reveals that he is confused and incontinent of urine. The patient's girlfriend tells you that he has a history of seizures and takes carbamazepine (Tegretol). When obtaining further medical history from the girlfriend, it is MOST important to:

obtain a description of how the seizure developed.

You are caring for a 70-year-old female with signs and symptoms of an acute stroke. She is conscious, has secretions in her mouth, and is breathing at a normal rate with adequate depth. You should:

suction her oropharynx and apply 100% oxygen.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs when:

the normal body processes destroy a clot in a cerebral artery.

You respond to a residence for a child who is having a seizure. Upon arrival at the scene, you enter the residence and find the mother holding her child, a 2-year-old male. The child is conscious and crying. According to the mother, the child had been running a high fever and then experienced a seizure that lasted approximately 3 minutes. You should:

transport the child to the hospital and reassure the mother en route.