NURS 247: Stroke Pathophysiology and Management

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, stroke classifications, screening tools, clinical manifestations, and emergency management from NURS 247.

Stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident / Brain Attack)

An interruption of perfusion to any part of the brain resulting in infarction and cell death, with severity dependent on the location and duration of ischemia.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

A brief episode of neurological dysfunction usually lasting less than 1 hour, caused by focal brain ischemia without cellular death or permanent infarction.

Thrombotic Stroke

A type of ischemic stroke caused by cerebral thrombosis, where narrowing of an artery by plaque leads to local blood clot formation and vessel occlusion.

Embolic Stroke

A type of ischemic stroke caused by an embolus (a circulating blood clot or debris) that travels to and lodges in a narrow cerebral artery, blocking blood flow.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

A stroke caused by a ruptured blood vessel that leaks blood into brain tissue, producing tissue damage until clotting stops the leak.

FAST Screen

A rapid stroke screening tool evaluating Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call 9-1-1 immediately.

VAN Screen

A clinical screening protocol assessing Vision (gaze preference), Aphasia (naming difficulties), and Neglect (ignoring one side of body) to identify large vessel occlusions.

Time is Brain (Saver, 2006)

A clinical concept stating that for every minute delay in acute stroke treatment, the patient loses an average of 1.9 million brain cells, 13.8 billion synapses, and 12 km of axonal fibres.

Expressive Aphasia (Broca's Aphasia)

A motor speech impairment caused by damage to Broca's area, resulting in difficulty or inability to produce spoken words while comprehension remains intact.

Receptive Aphasia (Wernicke's Aphasia)

A language impairment caused by damage to Wernicke's area, resulting in difficulty understanding spoken or written communication.

Dysarthria

A motor speech defect caused by muscle weakness or loss of coordination in the tongue and speech structures, affecting pronunciation, articulation, and phonation.

Unilateral Neglect

A sensory perception deficit in which a patient ignores or fails to respond to stimuli on one side of their body or environment.

ABCS Health Promotion Strategy

A framework for managing modifiable stroke risk factors consisting of Aspirin use when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation.

Fibrinolytic Therapy (tPA)

Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator administered to dissolve blood clots in acute ischemic stroke, carrying a high risk of bleeding.

Primary Stroke Centre

A CT-enabled hospital equipped with advanced neuroimaging and specialized assessment services for immediate acute stroke care.

Permissive Hypertension

An acute stroke blood pressure management protocol allowing systolic blood pressure up to 220 mmHg in asymptomatic patients to maintain brain perfusion without aggressive reduction unless tPA is indicated.