Neurological Emergencies Flashcards
6 cards from real AMLS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Neurological Emergencies flashcards as text
A diabetic patient presents with altered mental status, diaphoresis, and tachycardia. Blood glucose is 38 mg/dL. What is the priority treatment?
Answer: IV dextrose 50% (D50) 25 g
IV D50 is the fastest and most effective treatment for symptomatic hypoglycemia in a patient with IV access.
Which AMLS assessment finding is most consistent with a lesion in the brainstem?
Answer: Abnormal respiratory patterns and cranial nerve deficits
Brainstem lesions typically cause abnormal respiratory patterns, cranial nerve deficits, and altered consciousness due to the reticular activating system.
What does a GCS score of 8 or less indicate regarding airway management?
Answer: The patient likely cannot protect their airway and may need intubation
A GCS of 8 or less is a widely used threshold indicating inability to protect the airway and is an indication for intubation.
Which medication is first-line for treatment of benzodiazepine-responsive seizures in the prehospital and emergency setting?
Answer: Lorazepam IV or midazolam IM
Benzodiazepines such as lorazepam IV or midazolam IM are first-line agents for acute seizure termination.
Wernicke's encephalopathy is classically caused by a deficiency of which vitamin?
Answer: Thiamine (B1)
Wernicke's encephalopathy results from thiamine (B1) deficiency, commonly seen in alcoholism, and presents with the classic triad of ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, and confusion.
Which finding on the AMLS primary survey is most concerning for spinal cord injury at the C3-C5 level?
Answer: Diaphragmatic breathing with loss of intercostal muscle function
Injuries at C3-C5 affect the phrenic nerve origin (C3-C5), impairing intercostal muscles but potentially sparing diaphragm, resulting in diaphragmatic-only breathing.