While most cells have room to stretch because they are embedded in flexible tissues, this is not the true for neurons. Within the brain cell there is almost zero room to expand and swell. So, brain edema, or swelling, can be disastrous. Rapid and severe hyponatremia causes the entry of water into brain cells leading to brain swelling, which present symptoms of seizures, coma, respiratory arrest, brain stem herniation and death.
He became trapped inside his car, sustaining abrasions to his face, forehead and temple, as well as lacerations to his left thigh. By the time the ambulance arrived, he had lost a litre of blood and bruising developed on both thighs, presumably from being crushed. Upon arrival at the hospital, the patient's extremities were cold, he was semicomatose, his blood pressure was low, and he was experiencing tachycardia. All of these signs, and the large loss of blood were indicators the patient could go into hypovolemic shock. Therefore, 3L of saline was administered to manage his condition.
4. Just how much brain swelling are we talking about? The volume of a human brain is normally about 1,200cm3. The concentration of solutes in the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that surrounds the brain and other parts of the central nervous system) is normally about 300mM.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: this happens when too much fluid builds up in the brain. Occasionally it can be amended with surgical installment of a shunt.
Encephalomalacia is a condition that’s characterized by the softening of brain tissue due to inflammation or hemorrhage. Encephalomalacia is regarded as one of the most serious types of brain condition that can bring irreversible damage and affect the normal function of the body as a whole. In some cases, the brain is known to deteriorate and this often leads to extensive softening of the substances within. This softening can be in one specific area or spread to other areas. Tissue and organ damage is possible and may easily occur during this condition within the occipital lobe, frontal lobe, temporal lobe and parietal lobe. Effects within this specific part of the brain cause immediate stoppage of functions and is known as cerebral softening.
Hypoalbuminemia can cause osmotic pressure which leads to a shift of fluid from the bloodstream to the interstitial tissue causing edema. A decreased in the blood volume from the fluid shift triggers the kidney to preserve water and sodium which leads the edema to becoming worse. Anemia, peritonitis, infection, thrombosis, poor growth and renal failure are some complications of Nephrotic Syndrome (Kyle & Carman, 2013).
Edema is another term for swelling. While one might think this is a bad thing, in the brain, it is bad. The skull limits the ability of the brain to expand and thus the brain has a limited volume to maintain. If the neural cells experience edema and expand, then the brain begins to occupy more space than available. If edema is maintained, then neural cells can start to damage themselves by crushing themselves. The effect is the same as cramming a bunch of inflated balloons into a small container. After so many balloons in there, the ones with the most stress will just pop.
If a patient was exposed to a Hypotonic Solution then the cells would absorb the water and can cause the patient to feel fine if it?s not too strong or
Current guidelines dictate a slow correction of sodium, not exceeding 10 mmol/24 hrs to prevent central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) (Greenberg et al, 2015, Spasovski et al, 2014, Verbalis et al, 2007, Verbalis et al, 2013). CPM is a non-inflammatory demyelinating disease characterized by the loss of myelin in the base of the pons and carries a poor prognosis, often times resulting in death. It was first described by Adams et al in 1958, in patients with hyponatremia in the setting of alcoholism and malnutrition (Adams, et al, 1958, Martin, 2004, Staikov, et al, 2015). The exact mechanism of demyelination remains unknown, however one proposed theory is that when osmotically active substances such as sodium are very low in the serum in the setting of hyponatremia, free water shifts into the brain and the brain adapts by allocating water into the cerebrospinal fluid and redirecting intracellular solutes out of the cells. If serum osmolarity rises back to normal too quickly, an osmotic gradient develops and causes destruction of myelin. The pons is vulnerable as it is less capable of transporting solutes across membranes than other areas of the brain leading to localized pontine demyelination. Catastrophic outcomes such as pseudobulbar palsy, spastic tetraparesis, locked-in syndrome and death can occur (Martin, 2004). In the patient described above, he developed
Hydrocephalus is a condition caused by an imbalance in the production and absorption of CSF in the ventricular system. When the production is greater than absorption, CSF accumulates within the ventricular system, usually under increased pressure, producing passive dilation of the ventricles and compressing the brain substance against the rigid bony cranium. Developmental defects (Arnold, aqueduct stenosis, aqueduct glioisis of the foramina of Lucschka and Magendie) accounrt for most cases of hydrocephalus from birth to 2 years (Perry, Hockenberry, Lowdermilk, & Wilson, 2014, p. 1455-1456)
The Nervous System is the system of our body that deal with the many nerves in our body that help us respond and react to things outside of our body that could or could not be conscious to us. The disease Hydrocephalus is a disease that affects the Nervous System through the brain. Hydrocephalus is when fluid that normally would help cushion our brain becomes excessive. This fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid. By this fluid becoming excessive it puts harmful pressure on the brain. Hydrocephalus can be categorized into two types. Congenital Hydrocephalus and Acquired Hydrocephalus. Congenital Hydrocephalus is present at birth. The causes could be genetic or inherited through the parent’s genes or problems during fetus development. Acquired Hydrocephalus is happens after birth and at any age. Several causes such as head injuries, strokes, infections, tumors, and bleeding in the brain are ways that can lead a person’s diagnoses of Acquired Hydrocephalus. Symptoms patients should look for after experiencing one of these causes are:
"Urinalysis: Three Types of Examinations." Urinalysis Examinations: Urine Analysis; UA | Lab Tests Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
The American Heart Association (AHA) updated the 2005 cardiopulmonary resuscitation clinical practice guidelines after the New England Journal of Medicine published two landmark studies in 2002. The HACA and the Bernard, et al. study found significant improvement in neurological outcomes with therapeutic hypothermia. Additionally, the Bernard, et al. study also revealed reduced mortality after cardiac-arrest survivors received therapeutic hypothermia (2002). In 2010, the AHA strengthened its position based on the growing body of research. Therapeutic hypothermia was the only intervention shown to improve neurological outcomes (Peberdy, et al., 2010). The most updated guidelines, set by the AHA in 2015, recommended that all comatose,
There are many factors that can affect the human body when it comes to exercise. For instance, the risk of hypothermia is very serious for athletes exercising in the cold. Along with this are the risks that come with increased altitude. Exercising and overall health are very much affected by different altitudes. Knowing the risks and warning signs before moving to higher altitude is extremely important to ensure one’s safety. The body also experiences many changes when it comes to reducing or stopping working out all together. These changes are similar in nature to what astronauts experience in space and upon return to earth. All of these topics will be discussed in further detail throughout this paper.
The patient is 52-year-old female who presents with dyskinesias and dysarthrias in the setting of a migraine headache with photophobia. She has ongoing involuntary jerking and twitching movements symptoms present for the past 2 weeks. She has never had them before and they have become increasingly troublesome. She also presents with garbled speech along with the involuntary movements. Her medical history is significant for hypothyroidism, seizure disorder, hypotension, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia and migraine. I concur with Dr. Lasheen and in view of this complicated history, as well as the multiplicity of comorbidities
Hyperventilation is breathing more deeply and more rapidly than normal. An episode of hyperventilation usually lasts 20–30 minutes. During an episode: