What it means
Brain cells begin to die within minutes when they lose blood flow. An ischemic stroke, the most common type, is caused by a clot blocking an artery to the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke is bleeding from a burst vessel. The effects depend on the part of the brain hit, and can include weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking or understanding, vision loss, poor balance and trouble swallowing. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a brief episode with symptoms that go away, and a warning sign. The medical term is cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
For the nurse
Note the time the client was last known to be well and report a suspected stroke at once: clot-dissolving treatment works only within a few hours. Keep the client NPO until a swallow screen is passed. Watch level of consciousness, pupils, strength and speech for changes.
Remember it
BE FAST: balance, eyes, face drooping, arm weakness, speech trouble, time to call.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | CVA (cerebrovascular accident); TIA (transient ischemic attack) |
|---|---|
| Spanish | accidente cerebrovascular, derrame cerebral |
| Also written | strokes, brain attack |
Related terms
dysphagia
Difficulty swallowing.
dysphasia
Difficulty speaking or understanding spoken or written language, caused by damage to the brain.
intracranial
Inside the skull.
speech therapist
A health professional who assesses and treats problems with speech, language, voice and swallowing.
cerebr/o
A word part that means the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain, or the brain in general.