Cerebral Vascular Stroke Case Studies

A stroke is also called a cerebrovascular accident. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, “A stroke is sometimes called a brain attack (pg. 4).” A stroke occurs when the brain isn’t receiving enough oxygen or a lack of blood supply. According to the American Heart Association, about 795,000 people have a stroke every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of adult disability.

A stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the cerebral arteries, those blood vessels that carry blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when one of those blood vessels in the brain is obstructed or ruptures flooding the brain with blood. Depriving blood and oxygen to the brain results in those immediate cells death, causing the brain not to function properly. Once parts of the brain stop functioning, it can directly affect the areas of the body controlled (1).

The diagnostic process for a formally diagnosing Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA/stroke), would consist with a number of test including a physical exam and questions regarding your family history of strokes, any signs or symptoms that may have been present before the patient had the stroke. The physician would also order a few tests like a MRI, CT scan, Cerebral Carotid ultrasound, Cerebral Angiogram and an Echo Cardiogram. The physical exam is important to listen to the hearts sounds, take your blood pressure and also use a ophthalmoscope ( a scope to look in your eyes, ears and nose) to see if there are any cholesterol crystals behind the eyes("Diagnosis - Stroke - Mayo Clinic," 2015). A MRI, uses radio and magnetic waves to show a detailed

Stroke also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), cerebrovascular insult (CVI), or a brain attack. A brain attack is the loss of brain function by the cause of disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This disturbance occurs due to either one of two causes which are ischemia (lack of blood flow) or a hemorrhage (high increase of blood flow directly into brain; parenchyma or into the subarachnoid space which surrounds the brain with tissue). Ischemia is a formation by a blood clot that is inside of a blood vessel located in the circulatory system called thrombosis or arterial embolism; which is a rapid interruption in the supply of blood flow to an organ or body part due to a clogged artery blocking the blood flow. Thrombosis is a

A stroke is a condition which is characterised as loss of brain functioning due to an interruption in the blood flow to the brain (Buzzard, 2013, pg. 5). There are two types of strokes, ischaemic and hemorrhagic strokes (Buzzard, 2013, pg. 6). Ischaemic strokes are the most common type of stroke (Gomes & Wachsman, 2013). This type of stroke occurs due to an insufficient flow of blood to the brain, which is usually caused by an artery blockage (Gomes & Wachsman, 2013). Hemorrhagic strokes are due to hypertension and may be caused by medical problems or blood vessel abnormalities (Gomes & Wachsman, 2013). The strokes severity and location of the brain that is affected determines the impact of the stroke in an individual (Gomes & Wachsman, 2013).(Gomes, 2013)

Sometimes known as a brain attack, a stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain stops. Brain cells immediately start to die due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients they need to function. There are two types of strokes. The most common type, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind of stroke, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans. In fact, according to the CDC, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke every year. A stroke can cause great damage in the brain and lead to mild or severe disabilities to the entire body such as paralysis, difficulties with

A healthy diet can help reduce the risk of chronic disease, improve overall health, and help reach and maintain a healthy weight. Physical activity helps get the body moving which can help prevent a stroke. Recent studies have shown that people who exercise five or more times a week have a reduced stroke risk. Smoking doubles the risk of a stroke compared to a non-smoker due to increasing clot formation, thickens blood and increases the amount of plaque build-up in the arteries. It has also been proven that Alcohol increases blood pressure and the risk of a stroke. Limiting the amount of alcohol consumed and smoking can in the long term prevent a stroke from

Cerebral vascular accident (CVA) or stroke is an injury to the brain that occurs when arteries responsible to supply blood to the brain become clotted or blocked preventing blood flow causing it to leak blood onto or into the brain. The damage of a stroke in the brain can affect the entire body, resulting from mild to severe disabilities, which include paralysis preventing anyone from walking, understanding , numbness of the face , arms, legs and emotional problems.

The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery to the brain. Sudden loss of speech, weakness, or paralysis of one side of the body can be symptoms. A suspected stroke may be confirmed by scanning the brain with special X-ray tests, such as CAT scans. The death rate and level of disability resulting from strokes can be dramatically reduced by immediate and appropriate medical care. Prevention involves minimizing risk factors, such as controlling high blood pressure and diabetes. Abbreviated CVA. Also known as cerebrovascular.

Stroke previously known as Cerebrovascular accident is well-defined as ‘an abrupt cessation of cerebral circulation in one or more of the blood vessels distributing the brain. Due to the interruption or diminish of oxygen supply causes serious damage or necrosis in the brain tissues (Jauch, Kissella & Stettler, 2005). There is a presence of one or more symptoms such as weakness or numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, difficulty speaking or swallowing, dizziness, loss of balance, loss of vision, sudden blurring or decreased vision in one or both eyes and headache. Stoke is categorised into two types, Ischaemic and haemorrhagic

There are two ways in which the brain can restore function after a stroke, re-adaptation through neural plasticity, and cell restoration. Due to some stem cells still existing in the brain through life, it can regrow some damage, though it is pretty limited in doing so, and ever gets back to its pre-stroke state. With re-adaptation, the brain remaps some of the functions that were lost, to other areas of the brain. It’s this process that is attributed to the majority of recovery after stroke. Yet again however, the brain is not able to restore full functionality after a major attack, even with both of these processes working in tandem. There are a few ways of helping the brain heal itself, however, and can get people far closer to their pre-stroke performance then what could be done on their own. The four ways in which this can be done are varied. They range from exercise, to drugs, and even stem cell therapy. Though all have their uses, exercise based therapy remains the most common, and most effective source of recovery. (Murphey, Corbett, 2009) It still remains to be see if or how we can restore full function to a stroke patient, though the field of medicine will not stop until it finds a way. In that regard, science has its most powerful effect, inspiring people to better, not just for themselves but for humanity as a

A stroke occurs when there is a sudden decrease in blood flow to a localized area in the brain (Trakalo, 2015, p.1234). This can occur in different ways such as a thrombus, an embolus, a stenosis, or a hemorrhage - all of which can cause devastating neurological effects depending on the extent of ischemia and necrosis resulting from the decreased oxygen carried by the blood.

The deleterious effects of stroke in older adults’ physical and mental functioning could negatively impact their self-concept, cognitive functioning, and behavioral health. The seriousness of the consequences of stroke if not diagnosed immediately depends on the extent of the damaged done to the brain. Physically, stroke could significantly alter one’s appearance and mobility. Alterations in physical appearance and

Patients who suffer a right-hemispheric stroke occur deficits related to vision loss, lack of awareness of the positions of their bodies, and spatial awareness. The nurse would expect the patient to have left-sided weakness and/or paralysis. The nurse must make sure that the patient’s left side is still taken care of (limb is repositioned/properly cleaned) in the case that the patient has unilateral neglect syndrome (patient fails to recognize the affected part of their body). The patient may also experience poor impulse control as well as impaired judgement. The patient may also have visual changes and impaired depth perception. Time and perception of one’s abilities will also be detected. Safety interventions must be put in place by the nurse

stroke results when arteries carrying blood to the brain may become blocked by a blood clot or plaque or they may rupture.