Neuro - Quiz 2

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1

Describe A&P of the neuro system in children

  • First 3 to 4 weeks’ gestation: Infection, trauma, teratogens,

    and malnutrition can cause physical defects and may affect normal CNS development.

  • Birth

    • Cranial bones not well developed and not fused: increased risk for fracture

    • Brain is highly vascular: increased risk for hemorrhage

  • Child: spinal cord is mobile, high risk for cervical spine injury

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2

What factors are associated with neuro diseases in children?

  • Prematurity

  • Difficult birth

  • Infection during pregnancy

  • Falls

  • Recent trauma

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3

What are common S&S related to neuro disease in children?

  • N/V

  • Headaches (frequent or persistent)

  • Changes in gait

  • Loss of motor function

  • Visual disturbances

  • Changes in LOC or confusion

  • Altered muscle tone

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4

List the common laboratory and diagnostic tests used for neuro conditions

  • Lumbar puncture (LP)

  • Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring

  • EEG = records electrical activity in brain to find abnormalities

  • Head and neck xray

  • Ultrasound

  • Fluoroscopy

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5

Describe lumbar puncture

  • Withdrawal of CSF for analysis

    • Can measure pressure

  • Diagnoses hemorrhages, infections or any obstruction

  • Implications:

    • Help position properly and maintain it

    • Monitor respiratory status, LOC, HR, and pain level

    • Keep child flat for 1 hr

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6

Describe a head and neck x ray

  • Takes an image of the skull and spine

  • Detects fractures and shows info about inc ICP and skull defects

  • Implication:

    • Allow parents to accompany to ease child’s worry so they can cooperate and stay still

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7

Describe fluoroscopy

  • Continuous x rays showing live up to date images

  • Assesses cervical spine for instability during movement

  • Implications:

    • Try to get child cooperation

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8

Describe an ultrasound when used for neuro conditions

  • Assesses intracranial hemorrhage in newborns and ventricular size

  • Better tolerated by children compared to CT or MRI

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9

List the medications used to treat neuro conditions

  • Antibiotics

  • Anticonvulsants

  • Benzodiazepines

  • Analgesics

  • Osmotic diuretics

  • Corticosteroids

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10

Describe antibiotics and nursing implications

  • Actions:

    • Treats bacterial meningitis and shunt infections

    • Kills and prevents bacterial growth

  • Implications:

    • Check for allergies

    • Monitor serum levels for therapeutic levels

    • Follow prescription

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11

Describe anticonvulsants and nursing implications

  • Action:

    • Dec nerve hyperexcitability

    • Treats and prevents seizures

  • Implications:

    • Seizure precautions and activity

    • Monitor drug interactions and adverse effects

    • Stopping abruptly = precipitate seizures or status epilepticus

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12

Describe benzodiazepines and nursing implications

  • Minor sedative that prevent/stops seizures

  • Treats status epilepticus

  • Implications:

    • Diazepam = educate family how to administer rectal form to stop prolonged seizures

    • Monitor sedation level and cessation of seizure activity

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13

Describe analgesics and nursing implications

  • Block pain impulse

  • Helps avoid inc ICP

  • Implications:

    • Monitor for pain improvement, sedation, neuro status and resp status w/ narcotics

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14

Describe osmotic diuretics and nursing implications

  • Inc plasma osmolarity = reduces ICP

  • Implications:

    • Monitor electrolytes, I&O, VS and s/s of inc ICP

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15

Describe corticosteroids and nursing implications

  • Suppresses inflammation and normal immune response

  • Reduces cerebral edema

  • Implication:

    • Give oral doses w/ food

    • Dosage must be tapered before d/c

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16

What are other treatments for neuro conditions?

  • Ventricular shunt placement

  • Hyperventilation

  • Physical, occupational, or speech therapies (PT/OT/ST)

  • External ventricular drainage (EVD)

  • Ventricular tap

  • Vagal nerve stimulator

  • Ketogenic diet (high fat, low carb)

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17

Describe ventricular shunt placement

  • Drains excess CSF from the brain into another part of the body to relieve pressure and improve brain function

  • Use: for hydrocephalus, increased ICP

  • Implications:

    • Monitor for s/s of inc ICP

    • Monitor neuro status, LOC, VS, infection

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18

Describe hyperventilation when used for neuro conditions

  • Hyperventilation inc RR & pH to calm pt

    • Deceases PaCO2 = vasoconstriction to decrease ICP

  • Use: for inc ICP

  • Implication:

    • Monitor ABGs, s/s of inc ICP, pulse ox

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19

Describe an external ventricular drainage

  • Temp catheter to drain CSF from the ventricles = typically used in surgery

  • Use: for shunt infections, treats acute hydrocephalus, meningitis

  • Implication:

    • Monitor for s/s of inc ICP, LOC, level of collection container when drain is unclamped

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20

Describe a ventricular tap

  • Drains CSF and dec ICP

  • Use: for inc ICP

  • Implication:

    • Monitor LOC and neuro status

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21

Describe vagal nerve stimulator

  • Provides stimulation to the vagal nerve

  • Use: for short/long term seizure management in children 12+

  • Implication:

    • Monitor for s/s of infection and seizure activity

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22

Describe a ketogenic diet

  • High fat, low carb

  • Use: prevents, controls, and reduces seizures

  • Implications:

    • Monitor I&O’s, seizure activities, growth and nutritional status

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23

What are prenatal risk factors for neuro conditions?

  • Prematurity

  • Maternal drug or alcohol use during pregnancy

  • Maternal infection during pregnancy

  • Maternal ingestion of teratogens

  • Fetal malnutrition in utero

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24

What are the common types of seizures?

  • Infantile spasms

  • Absence

  • Tonic–clonic

  • Myoclonic

  • Atonic

  • Simple partial

  • Complex partial

  • Status epilepticus

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25

Describe infantile spasms

  • Occurs btw 3-12 months

    • Peaks at 3-7 months

  • Arms and legs flail up in clusters or head nods repeatedly

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26

Describe absence seizures

  • Causes you to blank out or stare into space for a few seconds

  • May go unrecognized or mistaken for inattentiveness due to subtle change

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27

Describe tonic clonic seizures

  • Involves a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions = two phases in total

  • Causes cyanosis due to apnea, saliva pools due to inability to swallow, tongue biting

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28

Describe myoclonic seizures

  • Brief, involuntary muscle jerks that can affect any part of the body

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29

Describe atonic seizures

  • Sudden and brief loss of muscle tone, causing person to fall or slump forward

  • Can result in injury related to fall

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30

Describe simple partial seizures

Affects a specific area of the brain without causing LOC = pt can rmr event

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31

Describe complex partial seizures

Causes a loss of awareness or consciousness

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32

Describe status epilepticus

  • A life-threatening medical emergency characterized by prolonged or recurrent seizures that do not stop on their own

    • Longer than 5 mins or multiple seizures without regaining consciousness btw them

  • Treatment:

    • ABCs, anticonvulsants, check BG levels and electrolytes

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33

List the common types of structural defects

  • Neural tube defects

  • Microcephaly (abnormally small head)

  • Arnold–Chiari malformation

  • Hydrocephalus

  • Intracranial arteriovenous malformation

  • Craniosynostosis

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34

Describe neural tube defects

  • Affect the brain and spinal cord, causes defects = spina bifida

  • An opening in the spine remains open and does not close like it should

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35

Describe microcephaly

  • Abnormally small head = more than 3 standard deviations below mean for age and sex of infant

  • Results in intellectual disability due to lack of functioning brain tissue

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36

Describe Arnold–Chiari malformation

  • Where the lower part of the brain pushes down into the spinal canal

  • Associated w/ hydrocephalus and myelomeningocele (severe form of spina bifida = part of spinal cord and nerves are contained in a sac which is visible in the back)

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37

Describe hydrocephalus

  • Extra CSF in the ventricles of the brain

    • Caused by an imbalance in the production and absorption of CSF

  • May see signs of ICP including increase in head size and loss of developmental milestones or changes in personality in older children

  • May require surgical intervention to relieve pressure with a ventricular shunt (temporary or permanent)

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38

Describe intracranial arteriovenous malformation

  • Occurs when arteries in the brain connect directly to nearby veins without having the normal small vessels (capillaries) between them

  • Increased risk of hemorrhage

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39

Describe craniosynostosis

  • Where the bones of the skull fuse together prematurely, before the brain has finished growing = neuro complications

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40

What are the different types of infectious disorders of the neuro system?

  • Bacterial meningitis

  • Aseptic meningitis (viral)

  • Encephalitis

  • Reye syndrome (rare)

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41

Describe bacterial meningitis

  • Inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord, caused by a bacterial infection

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42

Describe aseptic meningitis

  • Inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord, without the presence of bacteria or other identifiable infectious organisms

    • Usually viral

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43

Describe encephalitis

  • Inflammation of the brain, can be due to bacterial or viral infection

  • Can be mild to life threatening

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44

Describe Reye syndrome (rare)

Serious condition that causes brain swelling, liver failure, and death in a few hrs if not treated

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45

Describe intracranial pressure (ICP)

  • CNS has a dynamic balance of fluid (called CSF) that bathes the brain and spinal cord at a specific pressure called intracranial pressure (ICP)

  • Elevated ICP is a sign of a neurologic disorder

  • Possible causes: head trauma, birth trauma, hydrocephalus, infection, brain tumors

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46

Describe Cushing’s Triad

  • Signs that indicate increased ICP

  • Three classic signs:

    • HTN, Bradycardia, and Irregular respirations = typically decreased, bradypnea

  • Medical emergency = if left untreated can result in brain herniation and death

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47

What are early signs of increased ICP?

  • Change in LOC (drowsy, irritable, confused)

  • Headache (worse in the morning)

  • Projectile vomiting without nausea

  • Blurred vision

  • Sunset eyes (eyes deviate downward)

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48

What are late signs of increased ICP?

  • Cushing’s Triad

  • Fixed, dilated pupils (no response to light)

  • Decerebrate posturing (severe brainstem damage)

  • Decreased response to pain

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49

What are the S&S of a shunt infection?

  • Elevated vital signs

  • Poor feeding

  • Vomiting

  • Decreased responsiveness

  • Seizure activity

  • Signs of local inflammation along the shunt tract

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50

What are the common causes of head trauma in children?

  • Falls

  • Motor vehicle accidents

  • Sport injuries

  • Pedestrian and bicycle accidents

  • Child abuse

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51

What are causes of nonaccidental head trauma?

  • Violent shaking: shaken baby syndrome (SBS)

  • Blows to the head

  • Intentional cranial impacts against the wall, furniture, or the floor

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52

Describe acute stroke in children

  • Ischemic or hemorrhagic types

  • Risk factors in children are different than in adults

  • Same S&S

    • Weakness on one side or hemiplegia

    • Facial droop

    • Slurred speech

    • Speech deficits

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53

What do we observe in a child with a neuro condition?

  • LOC

  • VS

  • Head, face, and neck

  • Cranial nerve function

    • Motor and sensory function

  • Reflexes

  • Increased ICP

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54

How do you manage disturbed sensory perception?

  • Assess for any changes

  • Monitor child for risk of injury due to changes in sensory perception

  • Notify MD or NP

  • Assist child to learn adaptive methods to live with permanent changes (ex: use of eyeglasses) and maximize use of intact senses

  • Provide familiar sounds (voices, music)

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55

Describe the eye opening portion of the pediatric glascow coma scale (GCS)

  • Eyes open:

    • Spontaneously = 4

    • To speech = 3

    • To pain = 2

    • None = 1

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56

Describe the motor response portion of the peds GCS

  • Obeys commands = 6

  • Localizes pain = 5

  • Flexion withdrawal = 4

  • Flexion abnormal = 3

  • Extension = 2

  • None = 1

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57

Describe the response to auditory or verbal stimulus portion of the peds GCS

  • < 2 years

    • Smiles, listens, follows = 5

    • Cries, consolable = 4

    • Inappropriate, persistent cry = 3

    • Agitated, restless = 2

    • None = 1

    • Tracheal tube = T

  • >2 years

    • Oriented = 5

    • Confused = 4

    • Inappropriate words = 3

    • Incomprehensible words = 2

    • None = 1

    • Tracheal tube = T

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58

Describe the five states of consciousness

  • Full consciousness: a&o x4, and exhibits age-appropriate behaviors

  • Confusion: disorientation exists; alert but responds inappropriately to questions

  • Obtunded: limited responses to the environment and falls asleep unless stimulation is provided

  • Stupor: only responds to vigorous stimulation

  • Coma: cannot be aroused, even with painful stimuli

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59

What are closed head injuries?

  • Nonpenetrating injury to the brain but skull is hit hard

  • Can happen with an accident or intentional injury

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60

How do we promote child and family teaching?

  • Assess child’s and family’s willingness to learn

  • Provide family with time to adjust to diagnosis

  • Repeat information

  • Teach in short sessions

  • Gear teaching to a level of understanding for the child and family

  • Provide reinforcement and rewards

  • Use multiple modes of learning involving many senses

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