Deck 19: Neurological Disorders

Question 1

Your patient is confused, sleepy and combative as you conduct your primary survey. You should suspect

A) a substance abuse disorder.
B) an altered mental status.
C) heart disease.
D) a sleep disorder.

Answer 1

an altered mental status.

Question 2

Your patient is unresponsive and bleeding heavily from a laceration on his head. He is slumped over on the couch. You should first

A) apply a cervical collar.
B) secure the patient's airway.
C) place the patient in a supine position.
D) apply pressure to the laceration.

Answer 2

secure the patient's airway.

Question 3

Which of the following is the most common cause of seizures in adults?

A) Acute alcohol withdrawal
B) Complications due to hypoglycemia
C) Mechanism of injury suggestive of head trauma
D) Failure to take anti-seizure medication

Answer 3

Failure to take anti-seizure medication

Question 4

Which of the following is the most common cause of seizures in young children?

A) Rapidly increasing fever
B) Head trauma from sports game
C) Failure to take anti-seizure medication
D) Poisoning from household chemical

Question 5

Which type of seizure results from nerve cells in both hemispheres of the brain firing abnormally, begins suddenly, and involves a period of altered mental status?

A) Petit mal seizure
B) Focal seizure
C) Temporal lobe seizure
D) Generalized seizure

Question 6

Another name for a tonic-clonic seizure is

A) temporal lobe seizure.
B) focal seizure.
C) generalized motor seizure.
D) petit mal seizure.

Question 7

Your patient's body muscles have stiffened, his breathing is noisy, and his skin has a bluish color to it. He is in which phase of a tonic-clonic seizure?

A) Postictal phase
B) Aura
C) Tonic phase
D) Clonic phase

Question 8

An unusual taste in a patient's mouth, an unpleasant odor, stomach pains, and visual disturbances are symptoms associated with which phase of a tonic-clonic seizure?

A) Postictal
B) Tonic
C) Aura
D) Clonic

Question 9

Your patient is apneic and rigid. His skin is warm, flushed, and moist. Which part of the seizure is he currently in?

A) Aura
B) Clonic
C) Tonic
D) Postictal

Question 10

Which of the following types of seizures involves motor or sensory symptoms with no change in mental status and usually lasts about 10 to 20 seconds?

A) Psychomotor seizure
B) Temporal lobe seizure
C) Focal seizure
D) Generalized motor seizure

Question 11

Your patient's face and arms twitched for 15 seconds. She reported tingling in her fingertips and numbness near her mouth. She was alert and oriented during the incident. What type of seizure did she have?

A) Temporal lobe seizure
B) Focal motor seizure
C) Generalized motor seizure
D) Psychomotor seizure

Question 12

Which of the following is caused by bleeding into the brain?

A) Ischemic stroke
B) Transient ischemic attack
C) Hemorrhagic stroke
D) Thrombotic stroke

Question 13

Your 8 year old patient was unresponsive for five seconds. During that time, he had a blank and unblinking stare, but no loss of muscle tone. You suspect a

A) generalized motor seizure.
B) petit mal seizure.
C) temporal lobe seizure.
D) psychomotor seizure.

Question 14

Your patient is actively seizing when you arrive. Her father reports that she has been seizing for 3 minutes. You should

A) wait for seizure activity to stop before transporting.
B) move furniture to ensure her safety.
C) transport her to the hospital.
D) protect her head with a pillow or another soft material.

Question 15

A patient who smokes cigarettes, has diabetes mellitus, or a past myocardial infarction is at higher risk for

A) organic headaches.
B) stroke.
C) seizure.
D) syncope.

Question 16

____________ occurs when a blood clot breaks up and travels through the circulatory system, where it lodges in a vessel within or leading to the brain.

A) Intracerebral hemorrhage
B) Embolic stroke
C) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
D) Thrombotic stroke

Question 17

You ask your patient to smile, close her eyes and raise her arms out in front of her for 10 seconds. Then you ask her to repeat a simple sentence. Which of the following assessment techniques are you using?

A) SAMPLE patient history
B) "Give Me 5 for Stroke" checklist
C) Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale
D) FAST assessment

Question 18

______________ is caused by a ruptured blood vessel within the brain.

A) A subarachnoid hemorrhage
B) An embolic stroke
C) An intracerebral hemorrhage
D) A thrombotic stroke

Question 19

Hypoglycemia, hypotension, fasting, tachycardia, and bradycardia are all common causes of

A) syncope.
B) seizures.
C) strokes.
D) migraines.

Question 20

Your patient lost consciousness for a couple of minutes but is now completely alert and responsive. She likely suffered which of the following?

A) Transient ischemic attack
B) Tonic-clonic seizure
C) Structural headache
D) Syncope

Question 21

Which type of headache can eye strain, lack of sleep, poor posture, and skipping meals lead to?

A) Organic
B) Cluster
C) Migraine
D) Tension

Question 22

Your patient complains of a headache on the right side of her head and sensitivity to light. She tells you that she has a new baby and has not been sleeping well. You should suspect

A) a tension headache.
B) a migraine headache.
C) sleep deprivation.
D) substance abuse.

Question 23

Your patient is reporting dull, pressure-like pain behind his eyes and says his face is tender when you touch it or when he moves his head too quickly. He also has a low-grade fever and slight nasal discharge. Which type of headache does he likely have?

A) Sinus
B) Tension
C) Migraine
D) Cluster

Question 24

Which of the following should you and your partner do while your patient is actively seizing?

A) Protect the patient's airway by inserting a padded tongue blade.
B) Use soft restraints to secure the patient's limbs.
C) Move him to the couch.
D) Remove any tight clothing.

Question 25

Which of the following is a partial seizure that lasts for approximately one to three minutes, is often preceded by an aura, and may impair the patient's consciousness or memory?

A) Psychomotor seizure
B) Grand mal seizure
C) Focal motor seizure
D) Petit mal seizure

Question 26

Which of the following is caused by the blockage or rupture of an artery supplying the brain?

A) Syncope
B) Migraine
C) Stroke
D) Heart Attack

Question 27

Which of the following occurs when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel leading to the brain, decreasing blood flow to the brain, and causing permanent damage?

A) Subarachnoid hemorrhage
B) Intracerebral hemorrhage
C) Hemorrhagic stroke
D) Thrombotic stroke

Question 28

What is the name for a blood clot that travels through the circulatory system, where it lodges in a vessel within or leading to the brain?

A) Aneurysm
B) Intracerebral hemorrhage
C) Embolus
D) Arachnoid

Question 29

Your 45 year old smoker patient is reporting numbness in the left arm and leg, blurred vision, and a sudden and severe headache. You should suspect

A) meningitis.
B) heart attack.
C) stroke.
D) migraine.

Question 30

In the FAST assessment, "T" stands for which of the following?

A) Level of trauma sustained
B) Ability to talk
C) Body temperature
D) Time symptoms began

Question 31

The "Give Me 5 for Stroke" campaign, includes walk, talk, see, feel and which of the following?

A) Agitation
B) Balance
C) Numbness
D) Reach

Question 32

Your patient has had facial asymmetry, arm drift and slurred speech that began 2 hours ago. When you contact medical direction, you should tell them

A) you are treating a transient ischemic attack patient.
B) you are incoming with a stroke alert patient.
C) you have a myocardial infarction patient.
D) the patient was abnormal on the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale.

Question 33

A blackout in which there is a brief loss of responsiveness caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain is also known as

A) synapse
B) seizure
C) stroke
D) syncope

Question 34

Your patient is complaining of dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, is sweating, has pale skin and a weak pulse. Which of the following is likely to occur soon?

A) stroke
B) seizure
C) migraine
D) syncope

Question 35

Which of the following is a temporary change in behavior or consciousness caused by abnormal electrical activity within one or more groups of brain cells?

A) Aura
B) Altered mental status
C) Seizure
D) Stroke

Question 36

Which of the following involves recurring seizures without an intervening period of consciousness?

A) Epilepsy.
B) Petit mal seizures.
C) Grand mal seizures.
D) Status epilepticus.