What acronym is used to to help identify strokes?
Answer: F.A.S.T – Facial droop, arm drop, speech problems, time. This acronym is universally used to easily teach people how to recognize a stroke. The other acronyms are not used to help people identify strokes.
What are some risk factors for having a stroke? Select all that apply.
Answer: Uncontrolled hypertension, and smoking. Uncontrolled hypertension can damage blood vessels and cause vasoconstriction making it more likely for a clot to form and obstruct the blood flow to the brain. Smoking can also damage blood vessels and cause vasoconstriction, smoking can increase the risk of stroke by up to 50%. Physical activity decreases, not increases, the risk of stroke. Drinking 8 glasses of water is healthy for the body and does not cause an increased risk of strokes.
What is the difference between a TIA and a stroke?
Answer: While both are caused by a lack of blood flow to one or more areas of the brain and they share many of the same clinical manifestations, the symptoms of a TIA resolve in an hour or less.
What is the postictal phase?
Answer: The postictal phase is the period of time immediately following an epileptic seizure and may last from a few minutes to hours. Clinical manifestations often mimic a stroke. Patient history and testing is needed to differentiate the two.
What is the difference between a thrombotic stroke and an embolic stroke?
Answer: A thrombotic stroke is due to thrombi formed in the intracranial vessels or vessels that feed the brain. An embolic stroke happens when fragments break from a thrombus that is formed outside of the brain.
What are two types of hemorrhages that can occur in a hemorrhagic stroke?
Answer: Subarachnoid & intracerebral. Subarachnoid is a bleed that occurs between the brain and the dura while an intracerebral bleed occurs actually in the brain parenchyma. The other answers are classified as ischemic strokes.