Brainstem Strokes: A Case Study

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.

Researchers with the University of Michigan performed a study in order to gain a better understanding of the link between brain injuries and this type of stroke. The study and its findings were published in the Neurology medical journal.

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)

A stroke occurs when there is a disruption of blood flow within the brain. A stroke can occur in two ways, one is a blood clot forming which can block a vessel in the brain causing an ischemic stroke. Another way is having a leakage or burst in a blood vessel inside the brain, causing a brain bleed (hemorrhagic stroke). The population stroke most often affects are the African American, Alaska Native, and American Indian populations. Individuals with specific risk factors may also be at a greater risk of getting a stroke. These risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, smoking, and family history. There is no specific age of onset for stroke, but the risk of a stroke occurring does increase as an individual gets older.

Complications that threaten a person's life may develop soon after stroke symptoms occur. The complications of CVS recurrence can be divided into medical complications (related to bed ridden, extremities) and neurological complication (Stroke Association. 2015).

Stroke is a severe medical condition and is the number five cause of death and leading cause of serious, long-term disability in America. There are three main kinds of stroke, ischemic which is caused by blood blots, hemorrhagic which is caused by ruptured blood vessels that cause brain bleeding, and transient ischemic attack (TIA) which is a “mini-stroke” caused by a temporary blood clot. It is well-known that brain cells die after a few minutes when they are no longer able to receive nutrients and/or oxygen from the blood or even when there is sudden bleeding in and around the brain. After the brain cells die, the part of the body that they control will no longer be able to function. The signs and symptoms depends on the

First I feel that, it is important to understand the clinical manifestation of the different strokes. The Ischemic stroke can cause a wide range of neurologic symptoms depending on the location and the size of the effective area. Patients may present with symptoms, such as, numbness or weakness of the face, arms, legs, more so, one side of the body, changes in moody or behavior, trouble with speaking or understanding speech, visual disturbances, having difficulty in walking, dizziness or loss of balance and sudden server headaches. Hemorrhagic stroke has, also, presents with the same clinical manifestation as a Ischemic stroke, however, most patients complain of server headache.

Jillian great post. I agree that it appears this patient has presented with a left hemisphere stroke. The evidence that supports this decision is that the patient was slumped to the right and unable to speak. Often times with a left hemisphere stroke a patient will experience numerical skills, written language, and reasoning (North Carolina Stroke Association, n.d.). Depression is also often noticed after stroke (Illumistream Health, n.d.). For left hemisphere stroke patients some of the depression may be coming from not being able to communicate as well as prior to the stroke.

In an unbelievable time of four minutes, a stroke attacks an American citizen. A stroke is also know as a ‘brain attack’. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients.Although stroke risk increases with age, it can occur at any age and cause long-term disabilities. Knowing the signs and symptoms, causes, effects, and treatments of a stroke can help decrease the chances of one occurring.

During my reading this an article, I found some information in this an article pertains to Right Hemisphere Stroke: A Victim Reflects on Rehabilitative Medicine book. For example, Johnson could recognize, even understand isolated words but when they come together in a sentence, Johnson would have difficulty dealing. On the other hand, the article presented that the respondents only presented higher difficulties in sentence formulation. This supports the premise that this tool is highly sensitive to language production. It also reflects the hypothesis that the right brain performs a complementary role to the left brain, with the execution of more complex tasks, such as formulating words with two or more target words, readily influenced by reduced

In the situation presented above, the patient displays the symptoms of a cerebrovascular accident, commonly referred to as a stroke. The location of the impaired brain vessel categorizes the different types of strokes – cerebral artery ruptures occur when a weakened artery in the cerebrum suffers from hemorrhaging causing blood to flood the surrounding tissue. Occlusion may result when an embolus or thrombus becomes obstructed and blood flow is impeded. Another symptom of a stroke is sudden, intense headaches caused by a ruptured brain vessel. The surrounding tissue suffers from a lack of oxygen and can suffer from permanent damage. This symptom is also recognizable from the patient’s phone call to the medical facility. Other symptoms of cerebrovascular accidents include disorientation, vertigo, diplopia, partial paralysis, loss of

Mr. A is a 74-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of leg pain after he fell at home. He states he got up around 1 am to use the restroom, he then felt unsteady, lost his balance and fell onto his left hip. Patient was found in that position by his wife, who then called EMS services. Patient complains of sharp, continuous pain in left hip that radiates down into his left thigh. Patient admits to occasional periods of weakness, and onset occurs when changing positions from sitting to standing, where he occasionally feels like he is going to lose his balance. He describes periods of weakness as short usually around 1-2 minutes, and characterizes his

The Fourth stroke is the sidestroke. The sidestroke is not used in competition, but it holds importance for swimmers because you can use it to rescue someone, since it only requires one arm. You will float on your side, reach up, like when picking an apple, and then reach down, like when putting the apple into a basket. You can glide in between strokes and that allows you to move easily through the water while tugging along some person or thing. Your starting position will be lying on your side. Stretch your body, extend your legs and point your toes. You should also stretch your hands and keep them far apart. Keep your head out of the water and angle it towards your hip so you can maintain your balance. A lot of the power comes from the legs.

The diagnosis is a cerebrovascular accident, also known as a stroke. A stroke occurs when the blood flow to cerebral vessels become disrupted from clotting or a rupture. The two types of CVA are ischemic and hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke is the most common type. It results from a thrombosis1 or emboli2. A hemorrhagic stroke is the most fatal type of stroke. It occurs when there is bleeding into brain tissue from hypertension, aneurysms, or head injuries. Structures that are involved in a stroke would include brain tissue and cerebral vessels. A right sided stroke will result in left side paralysis, vision problems, inquisitive behavioral style, and memory loss. The right side of the brain is responsible for attention, creative, imaginative,

We recommend that All stroke units should have protocols for screening for delirium, managing patients with established delirium and for preventing delirium in high risk patients particularly elderly patients. This may improve the prognosis .