Neurological Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real MSNCB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Neurological Nursing flashcards as text
A patient with myasthenia gravis develops worsening weakness, dysphagia, and difficulty breathing after a respiratory infection. This presentation is most consistent with:
Answer: Myasthenic crisis
Myasthenic crisis is triggered by physiological stressors like infection and causes severe muscle weakness including respiratory muscles.
Which clinical sign differentiates Parkinson's disease tremor from essential tremor?
Answer: Tremor is present at rest in Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's tremor is a resting tremor that diminishes with intentional movement, while essential tremor occurs with action or posture.
A nurse notes CSF leaking from a patient's nose after a basilar skull fracture. The most appropriate nursing action is to:
Answer: Test the drainage with a glucose oxidase strip and keep HOB elevated
CSF rhinorrhea is confirmed by testing for glucose; the HOB is elevated to reduce CSF pressure, and nasal packing is contraindicated due to infection risk.
Which drug is the FIRST-LINE treatment for an ischemic stroke patient who presents within the thrombolytic window?
Answer: IV alteplase (tPA)
IV alteplase (tPA) is the only FDA-approved thrombolytic for acute ischemic stroke and must be given within 3-4.5 hours of symptom onset.
A patient with multiple sclerosis reports worsening of all symptoms when the room temperature is increased. This phenomenon is known as:
Answer: Uhthoff's phenomenon
Uhthoff's phenomenon is the temporary worsening of MS symptoms with heat, due to impaired conduction through demyelinated axons.
When administering nimodipine to a patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage, the primary purpose is to:
Answer: Prevent cerebral vasospasm
Nimodipine, a calcium channel blocker, is given after subarachnoid hemorrhage specifically to prevent cerebral vasospasm and reduce neurological deficits.
A patient with a spinal cord injury at T4 suddenly develops severe hypertension (BP 210/120), bradycardia, and profuse sweating above the injury level. The nurse's first action is to:
Answer: Sit the patient upright and identify the noxious stimulus
Autonomic dysreflexia requires sitting the patient upright to lower BP and then identifying and removing the triggering noxious stimulus, most commonly a full bladder.