Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) Stroke Study Guide.What is a stroke? It is a condition that develops when blood rich in oxygen can NOT reach
brain cells
... [Show More] (due to either a blockage or bleeding). This causes the brain cells to die.
Type of Strokes
–Ischemic (most common): due to a blood clot within a blood vessel or stenosis of an artery
that feeds the brain tissue. This limits the blood that can reach the brain cells. This type of stroke
can happen due to:
Embolism: where a clot has left a part of the body (example the heart: this can happen
due to a heart valve problem or atrial fibrillation). The clot develops in the heart and
travels to the brain, which stops blood flow.
Thrombosis: Clot forms within the artery wall within the neck or brain. This is seen in
patients with hyperlipidemia or atherosclerosis
– Hemorrhagic : this occurs when there is bleeding in the brain due to a break in a blood vessel.
Therefore, no blood will perfuse to the brain cells. In addition, this can lead to excessive swelling
from the leakage of blood in the brain. Causes of this type of stroke includes: rupture of a brain
aneurysm, uncontrolled hypertension, or aging blood vessels (older age).
-TIA (transient ischemic attack) also called a mini-stroke. This is where signs and symptoms
of a stroke occurs but last only a few minutes to hours and resolves. It is a warning signs an
impending stroke may occur. If this occurs the patient needs to seek treatment.
To understand strokes, let’s talk about the BRAIN”S function and anatomy!
Blood supply to the brain? The blood supply to the brain comes for the carotid and vertebral
arteries, which then branch into other arteries that feed the brain. If any of these areas of the
artery become blocked or burst open it decreases the blood supply to the brain cells. Brain cells
are very sensitive and within 5 minutes these cells start to become damaged, and the damage can
become IRREVERSIBLE.
The cells in the brain control how our body functions and depending on where the cells are
located they are responsible for specific functions. Therefore, it is super important to be familiar
with the function of each lobe and the difference between the right and left hemispheres of the
brain.
Now strokes tend to affect ONE side of the body. So be familiar with the functions of the right
side vs the left side:
The right side of the brain is the CREATIVE side while the left side is the LOGICAL side. [Show Less]