A Study On A Cerebral Vascular Accident

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 form of brain attack, which is when blood and oxygen can’t get to a certain part of the brain causing cells to die. This causes permanent damage. Basically the longer you take to get to the hospital, the more damage there is.

In many cases, strokes can be diagnosed, prevented and treatable. Symptoms of a stroke can occur quickly and may cause: sudden numbness, tingling, or weakness, or paralysis in your face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of your body. Sudden: vision changes, trouble speaking (slurred speech), confusion or trouble understanding simple statements, problems with walking or balance, severe headache. It's recommended to call a doctor or 911 even if these symptoms last for a short amount of time because a transient ischemic attack, or mini stroke may have occurred. The transient ischemic attack may be a precursor to a stroke occurring soon. Catching these symptoms can dramatically increase chances of prevention additional damage to the body (2).

. Define the term collateral blood flow, and describe how this and other factors affect the development of stroke.

According to our American Red Cross Nursing Assistant text a cerebral vascular accident, C.V.A., or stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted. The loss of blood supply results in the death of brain cells. (Page 91) When your brain starts to die the bodily functions the brain controls can be affected. The affected bodily functions depend on what part of the brain does not receive oxygen. Web MD says damage “can occur within 3-4 minutes if not treated.”

Strokes are caused by pathophysiological changes. The two major mechanisms of stroke consist of ischemia and haemorrhage. Ischemia is when there is no oxygen or not, merely enough oxygen to fuel the tissue level in the body. Haemorrhage in the brain, causing strokes can be due to non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (Shah, MD, n.d.) (see appendix 1). This essay will further discuss the implications of strokes on a cellular, organ and system level. Explain the clinical presentation of the signs and symptoms of strokes and how the condition will be managed by a paramedic.

The stroke from a blocked artery is called ischemia, and the ruptured artery is hemorrhagic. As time is critical after the cerebrovascular accident, lack of treatment will lead to brain cell apoptosis and neural injuries are permanent. Evaluation using brief tests of cognitive impairment includes analysis of executive functioning, memory, language, and visuospatial performance, neuropsychiatric as well as depressive symptoms (Grant and Adams, 2009).

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

    Ischemia- local decrease in blood supply    Infarction- death & deterioration of tissue resulting from lack of blood supply.

A CVA occurs when a part of the brain is damaged or destroyed due to an interruption of blood flow to the area resulting in brain cell death (Martini, Nath & Bartholomew 2015 pp. 496-470).There are two main types of a CVA, Ischaemic stroke and Haemorrhagic stroke (AIHW 2013). The most common cause of stroke is ischaemic, which can be caused by embolism/thrombosis (AIHW 2013). An embolism/thrombosis occurs when there is a clot in an artery or vein, which stops blood flow to the brain (AIHW 2013). A haemorrhagic stroke is when an artery ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain tissue (AIHW 2013). This form of stroke occurs when blood pools and forms a clot therefore putting pressure on the area of the brain depriving it of oxygen and nutrients it needs to remain healthy (AIHW 2013).

Treatment of stroke, in general and ischemic stroke specifically, in particular, is aone of the most pressing issues in both nursing and medical science today. This is due to the fact that there are very few available treatment options for the various kinds of stroke. Acute ischemic stroke carriesis a prominent medical issue with a high risk of death or morbidity (Kakma, Stofko, Binning, Liebman & Veznedaroglu, 2014). Stroke, including ischemic and other types, is recognized, further, as a one of the most prominent leading causes of disabilities (Saver et al., 2015). While cerebral infarction resulting from thrombotic occlusion of brain arteries is the most common stroke type, ischemic stroke is also quite common. Each year ischemic stroke affects over a half-million victims in the United States alone;. o Of this group, about 150,000 deaths occur, along with 300,000 victims suffering from any number of disabilities following a stroke (CITE)after the fact.

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)

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

A cerebrovascular accident more commonly known as a stroke or brain attack is the term used to describe the sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to inadequate blood flow. In order to woke the brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. This supply is carried to the brain