Chapter 17 Neurologic Emergencies

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

a seizure.

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

Confusion and fatigue

The spinal cord exits the cranium through the:

foramen magnum.

A 30-year-old male experienced a generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure, which stopped before you arrived at the scene. The patient is conscious, is answering your questions appropriately, and refuses EMS transport. Which of the following would be the MOST compelling reason to disagree with his refusal of transport?

He is currently not prescribed any medications

Which of the following conditions would be the LEAST likely to mimic the signs and symptoms of a stroke?

Hypovolemia

Which of the following is a metabolic cause of a seizure?

Poisoning

Which of the following conditions would MOST likely affect the entire brain?

Respiratory failure or cardiopulmonary arrest

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs when:

a small clot in a cerebral artery causes temporary symptoms.

Febrile seizures:

are usually benign but should be evaluated.

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

ensure a patent airway and support ventilation as needed.

The most basic functions of the body, such as breathing, blood pressure, and swallowing, are controlled by the:

brain stem.

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

dysarthria.

The MOST significant risk factor for a hemorrhagic stroke is:

hypertension.

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:

initiate CPR and attach an AED as soon as possible.

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

liver.

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:

maintain her airway with manual head positioning, suction her airway to remove the vomitus, insert a nasopharyngeal airway, and administer high-flow oxygen.

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:

monitor her airway and breathing status and assess her blood glucose level.

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, is breathing at a normal rate with adequate depth, and has an oxygen saturation of 96%. You should:

suction her oropharynx and transport immediately.

The left cerebral hemisphere controls:

the right side of the body.

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.