Neurovascular Disorders and Stroke Nursing Flashcards

Which intervention is the priority when a patient with known atrial fibrillation presents with acute ischemic stroke symptoms?

Answer: Obtain non-contrast CT of the head to rule out hemorrhage

Non-contrast CT of the head must be obtained immediately to differentiate ischemic from hemorrhagic stroke before any treatment is initiated.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is defined as a focal neurological deficit that resolves within:

Answer: 24 hours with no infarction on imaging

A TIA is a focal neurological deficit lasting less than 24 hours with no evidence of acute infarction on imaging.

The nurse is educating a patient discharged after TIA about secondary stroke prevention. Which lifestyle modification has the MOST impact on reducing recurrent stroke risk?

Answer: Smoking cessation

Smoking is a major modifiable risk factor for stroke; cessation substantially reduces the risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events.

Which imaging modality is MOST sensitive for detecting acute ischemic stroke within the first hours of onset?

Answer: Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI)

Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) detects cytotoxic edema within minutes of ischemic injury and is far more sensitive than CT in the hyperacute phase.

A patient with hemorrhagic stroke has a serum sodium of 126 mEq/L. The nurse identifies this as:

Answer: Cerebral salt-wasting syndrome (CSWS) or SIADH, both causing hyponatremia

Both CSWS and SIADH cause hyponatremia after hemorrhagic stroke; distinguishing them by volume status guides treatment.

Which classification system stratifies ischemic stroke etiology into large-artery atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, small-vessel occlusion, other determined cause, and undetermined cause?

Answer: TOAST classification

The TOAST (Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification categorizes ischemic stroke into five etiological subtypes to guide treatment.