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A Stroke Is Also Known As A Cerebrovascular Accident (Cva).

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A stroke is also known as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Strokes can be either ischemic or hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage of a blood flow to the brain. It can be caused by a thrombosis or embolism. A thrombosis is a clot that disrupts the flow of blood to the brain. An embolism is a blood clot that forms in a different area of the circulatory system and travels through the bloodstream and blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes are when a blood vessel bursts causing bleeding in the brain or in the area surrounding the brain. This can be caused by an aneurysm or an arteriovenous malformation. An aneurysm is a weakened area of a blood vessel that eventually is weakened so much that it bursts. An …show more content…

About half of all pediatric strokes are hemorrhagic and is also listed as one of the top ten causes of death in kids. (American Heart Association, 2016). The origin of stroke in kids in unknown, but contributors can be sickle cell anemia, congenital heart defects, immune disorders or other clotting factors. Strokes can also happen during the perinatal period, or the last 18 week of gestation to the first 30 days after birth. This is the most common time for pediatric strokes to occur (International Alliance for Pediatric Stroke, 2017). Many people are unaware of the possibility of a stroke occurring to someone so young, it is often only thought to happen to adults. The actuality is that two-thirds of all strokes do happen to people aged 65 and older. (Radomski & Latham, 2014)
The location and severity of the CVA determine the impairment or disability of the individual. Possible areas affected are paralysis or weakness, gross and fine motor skills, speech and language, cognition, vision, and emotions. A stroke that occurs on one side of the brain will affect the opposite side of the body. If a stroke were to occur on the left side of the brain, it would be the right side of the individual’s body that could potentially have paralysis or weakness, speech or language problems, or memory loss. If a stroke were to occur on the right side of the brain, it would be the individual’s left side that could potentially have paralysis or

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