A Case Study Based On Bill The Stroke Patient

Cerebral vascular accident or a stroke is the destruction of brain substance, resulting from thrombosis, intracranial hemorrhage, or embolism, which causes vascular insufficiency. In addition, it is an area of the brain denied blood and oxygen that is required and damage is done to a part of the cells. The effect of the patient depends upon where the damage occurs and the severity of the stroke.

Strokes are caused by a block in the blood supply to the brain which causes a decrease in oxygen and delivery of other important supplies which facilitate proper functioning. Fifteen million cases are reported worldwide annually, although not all of these cases are mortalities, the large prevalence of strokes ranks it as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. (Figueroa) Because of the time sensitivity associated with the lack of resources to the brain, strokes are considered a medical emergency and early recognition of symptoms can help decrease the amount of damage caused . Although strokes do not always cause death, strokes most often leave the individual with some physical and cognitive impairment.

A stroke is a life changing disease and sudden attack of weakness to one side of the body resulting from a interruption to the flow of blood going to the brain that can be a minor attack and resolved in a few days or major attack leaving the person with physical disabilities and cognitive deficit (McFerran 2008). Therefore, stroke can affect the quality of life of an individual from the lack of communication, mobility and independence and intern can cause one to become depressed. This essay is concerning the case of Mr. Alfred Smith who was

* Cerebrovascular Disease: More commonly known as stroke cerebrovascular disease can be cause by either a colt or blockage that cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain or by haemorrhage. In both cases there is damage or death of the brain tissue that can cause paralysis, speech disorder, swallowing problems and immobility. People with diabetes and high blood pressure are at higher risk of stroke.

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).

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Each year more than 795,000 Americans suffer from a stroke, which means that every forty seconds someone has stroke (Liebman, 2012). Although a stroke can occur at any age, strokes are frequently seen in the older adult demographics. An increase with age doubles the risk for a stroke each decade after 55 (Grysiewicz, 2008). The percentage of stroke survivors to almost fully recover from a stroke is only 10 percent; in contrast, 40 percent of stroke survivors will face moderate to severe impairment which will entail distinctive care (Perlmutter and Colman, 2005). When all strokes are analyzed according to demography of class system, approximately 60% of strokes occur in low or middle income countries (Silverman and Rymer, 2009).

Cerebral Vascular Accident also known as a stroke, happens when the artery that supplies the blood flow to your brain becomes substantially blocked or completely blocked ("Overview - Stroke - Mayo Clinic," 2015). Without adequate blood supply the brain cells begin to die or become damaged. It is very important to get medical assistance as soon as you think you may be having a stroke, this will help lessen the damage done to the brain ("Overview - Stroke - Mayo Clinic," 2015).

A stroke is a sudden stop in brain function. Approximately 25% of all people who get a stroke will have another in about five years time. The symptoms that occur are mainly affecting the nervous and digestive system, however, they may also have an effect on the other systems. Having a stroke will indeed affect the body’s functions extremely negatively. Affecting many parts of the body, strokes are devastating to the human race, killing many. The types of strokes, symptoms, and predictably will be covered.

Effects - Every stroke is different, and each person that is affected by a stroke will suffer from different problems and have different needs. The way in which you are affected depends on where in the brain the stroke occurs and how big it is. A stroke on the right side of the brain generally causes problems to the left side of the body, and a stroke on the left side of the brain causes problems on the right. The brain is dived into several different areas which control different functions, including movement of the body, language, the way in which you think and senses (touch, sight, smell). Due to different arteries supplying blood to different areas of the brain, where abouts the brain is damaged determines which function is affected. Some strokes occur at the base of the brain which generally cause problems with breathing, moving and eating. These factors impact the effect of a stroke and the recovery after; Type of stroke, which area of the brain is damaged, how much tissue is permanently damaged and the person’s health and level of activity before a

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

An occlusive stroke can also convert into a hemorrhagic stroke if the stress on the vessel wall is great enough to cause it to rupture which then causes bleeding directly into the brain tissue. Hemorrhagic strokes are the second major classification of strokes with two distinct subgroups. Intracerebral hemorrhages describe the bleeding in to the brain tissue that generally results from severe and/or sustained hypertension. The elevated blood pressure causes changes in and weakens the arterial wall making its ability to rupture easier. Damage from this type of stroke occurs from the bleeding, which causes edema, distortion, and displacement, common irritants to the brain.

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessels in the brain leaks or ruptures. Bleeding from the ruptured brain artery can either go into the substance of the brain or into the various spaces surrounding the brain. The two types of hemorrhagic stroke are Intracerebral and Subarachnoid hemorrhagic.

Approximately 15 million people suffer a stroke worldwide each year, of those 5 million die and another 5 million are permanently disabled Mackay et al (2004). Stroke tends to affect people over the age of 75 (Scarborough et al 2009). Since almost 70% of people over 75 retain some teeth (Todd and Laden 1998), maintaining a healthy mouth is important for elderly stroke patients. Not only does effective oral care play a central role in the prevention of infection, a healthy mouth also makes a real difference to a person’s quality of life (McGrath and Bedi 1998) and maintenance of nutritional status (Jones 1998) .For these reasons, this dissertation will examine the benefits of good oral hygiene for elderly stroke patients and nurses role in

The over the counter medication once known only for its ability of easing aches and pains or fighting off fever and inflammation is proving itself to be quite the miracle drug. Aspirin has become part of the protocol for stroke victims as a preventative measure due to its neuro-protective benefits. Stroke can cause lesions in cerebral white matter, which may result in cognitive impairments such as deficits in learning and memory. White matter lesions (WML) have also been linked to increasing the risk of post-stroke dementia. Cerebral white matter damage has been widely overlooked. Comprised of oligodendrocytes that form the insulating myelin in the CNS, white matter is evidentially just as vulnerable to ischemia as gray matter.

A stroke caused by a blocked artery by a blood clot or bursting of a blood vessel because of uncontrolled high blood pressure. There are main three types of the stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks one of the arteries which supply blood to brain. A clot may be caused by fatty deposits (plaque) that build up in arteries and cause reduced blood flow (atherosclerosis) or other artery conditions. (mayo clinic). About 89%, strokes are ischemic strokes. Ischemic stroke includes thrombotic stroke. A thrombotic stroke occurs when a thrombus stuck in one of the arteries that supply blood to the brain. A clot build-up of fatty deposits in arteries. Another type of stroke is called the hemorrhagic stroke. This stroke occurs when a blood vessel leaks or ruptures in the brain. A bold vessel leaks or ruptures from many conditions like uncontrolled high blood pressure or overtreatment with anticoagulants and the weak spot in blood vessel walls. (mayo). Some people experience a mini-stroke it is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A temporary decrease or clot stuck in a vessel in our brain causes TIA. It happens less than five minutes. This stroke does not have any symptom, because the blockage is