PrepU chapter 62

A nurse is instructing the spouse of a client who suffered a stroke about the use of eating devices the client will be using. During the teaching, the spouse starts to cry and states, "One minute he is laughing, and the next he's crying; I just don't understand what's wrong with him." Which statement is the best response by the nurse?

"Emotional lability is common after a stroke, 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 patient is in the acute phase of an ischemic stroke. How long does the nurse know that this phase may last?

1 to 3 days

A nurse is providing education to a community group about ischemic strokes. One group member asks if there are ways to reduce the risk for stroke. Which of the following is a risk factor that can not be modified?

Advanced age

A nurse is teaching a community group about modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for ischemic strokes. Which of the following is a risk factor that cannot be modified?

Advanced age

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

Aspirin

A patient suffering a stroke is having a difficult time swallowing. What would the nurse document this finding as?

Dysphagia

The nurse is caring for a client with aphasia. Which strategy will the nurse use to facilitate communication with the client?

Establishing eye contact

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

Heparin sodium

Which terms refers to blindness in the right or left half of the visual field in both eyes?

Homonymous hemianopsia

The nurse practitioner advises a patient who is at high risk for a stroke to be vigilant in his medication regimen, 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 to do to help control the headaches and minimize the number of attacks the client is having. What instructions should the nurse give this client?

Identify and avoid factors that precipitate or intensify an attack.

A diagnostic test has determined that the appropriate diet for the client with a left cerebrovascular accident (CVA) should include thickened liquids. Which of the following is the priority nursing diagnosis for this client?

Impaired Swallowing

Which is a contraindication for the administration of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)?

Intracranial hemorrhage

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

Which of the following is accurate regarding a hemorrhagic stroke?

Main presenting symptom is an "exploding headache."

The nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with a hemorrhagic stroke. The nurse recognizes that which intervention is most important?

Maintaining a patent airway

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

Noncontrast computed tomography

Which of the following is the initial diagnostic in suspected stroke?

Noncontrast computed tomography (CT)

The nurse is caring for a client with dysphagia. Which intervention would be contraindicated while caring for this client?

Placing food on the affected side of the mouth

The geriatric advanced practice nurse (APN) is doing client teaching with a client who has had a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and the client's family. One concern the APN addresses is a potential for falls related to the CVA and resulting muscle weakness. What would be most important for the APN to include in teaching related to this concern?

Remove throw rugs and electrical cords from home environment.

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

Restrict fluids before surgery.

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

Semi-Fowler's

While providing information to a community group, the nurse tells them the primary initial symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke are:

Severe headache and early change in level of consciousness

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

Smoking

What nursing intervention is appropriate for a client with receptive aphasia?

Speak slowly and clearly.

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

The day the patient has the stroke

A 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

A nurse is reading a journal article about stroke and the underlying causes associated with this condition. The nurse demonstrates understanding of the information when identifying which subtype of stroke as being due to atrial fibrillation?

cardio embolic

While caring for clients who have suffered neurologic deficits from causes such as cerebrovascular accident and closed head injury, an important nursing goal that motivates nurses to offer the best care possible is preventing:

complications

A 64-year-old client reports symptoms consistent with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) to the health care provider in the emergency department. Which is the origin of the client's symptoms?

impaired cerebral circulation

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.

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.

A client has experienced an ischemic stroke that has damaged the temporal (lateral and superior portions) lobe. Which of the following deficits would the nurse expect during assessment of this client?

Auditory agnosia

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

Bleeding

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 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

During the recovery phase of a neurologic deficit, assessment tools may be used to help identify a client's level of functioning. Which tool is used to measure performance in activities of daily living (ADL)?

The Barthel Index

A client who's paralyzed on the left side has been receiving physical therapy and attending teaching sessions about safety. Which behavior indicates that the client accurately understands safety measures related to paralysis?

The client uses a mirror to inspect the skin.

Which of the following is the chief cause of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)?

Uncontrolled hypertension

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

During a class on stroke, a junior nursing student asks what the clinical manifestations of stroke are. What would be the instructor's best answer?

"Clinical manifestations of a stroke depend on the area of the cortex, the affected hemisphere, the degree of blockage, and the availability of collateral circulation."

Which term refers to the inability to perform previously learned purposeful motor acts on a voluntary basis?

Apraxia

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

From the left side of the client

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

Increased urine output

An emergency department nurse is interviewing a client who is presenting with signs of an ischemic stroke that began 2 hours ago. The client reports a history of a cholecystectomy 6 weeks ago and is taking digoxin, warfarin, and labetalol. What factor poses a threat to the client for thrombolytic therapy?

International normalized ratio greater than 2

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

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

use short, simple sentences.

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)

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

What clinical manifestations does the nurse recognize when a patient has had a right hemispheric stroke?

Left visual field deficit

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)

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

How often should neurologic assessments and vital signs be taken initially for the patient receiving tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)?

Every 15 minutes

A stroke victim is experiencing memory loss and impaired learning capacity. The nurse knows that brain damage has most likely occurred in which lobe?

Frontal

After having a stroke, a patient has cognitive deficits. What are the cognitive deficits the nurse recognizes the patient has as a result of the stroke? Select all that apply.

Poor abstract reasoning Decreased attention span Short- and long-term memory loss

An emergency department nurse is awaiting the arrival of a client with signs of an ischemic stroke that began 1 hour ago, as reported by emergency medical personnel. The treatment window for thrombolytic therapy is which of the following?

Three hours

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