Understanding Pathophysiology Study Set 3

What part of the brain is responsible for mediating arousal?

A 20-year-old experiences a severe closed head injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Which of the following structures is most likely keeping the patient in a vegetative state (VS)?

A 16-year-old's level of arousal was altered after taking a recreational drug. Physical examination revealed a negative Babinski sign, equal and reactive pupils, and roving eye movements. Which of the following diagnoses will the nurse most likely see on the chart?

What breathing pattern reflects respirations based primarily on carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the blood?

A teenager sustains a severe closed head injury following an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident and is in a state of deep sleep that requires vigorous stimulation to elicit eye opening. How should the nurse document this in the chart?

A patient experiences a severe head injury hitting a tree while riding a motorcycle. Breathing becomes deep and rapid but with normal pattern. What term should the nurse use for this condition?

A patient presents to the emergency room (ER) reporting excessive vomiting. A CT scan of the brain reveals a mass in the:

For legal purposes, brain death is defined as:

What is a patient experiencing when thought content and arousal level are intact, but a patient cannot communicate and is immobile?

What term is used to describe an excessive and disorderly discharge of cortical neurons?

A patient has memory loss of events that occurred before a head injury. What cognitive disorder does the nurse suspect the patient is experiencing?

A 65-year-old patient who recently suffered a cerebral vascular accident is now unable to recognize and identify objects by touch because of injury to the sensory cortex. How should the nurse document this finding?

A patient experiences a stroke and now has difficulty writing and producing language. This condition is most likely caused by occlusion of the:

A patient with an addiction to alcohol checked into a rehabilitation centre experiencing delirium, an inability to concentrate, and being easily distracted. What term would be used to document this state?

A patient is experiencing an increase in intracranial pressure. What does this increase result in?

What term describes a compensatory alteration in the diameter of cerebral blood vessels in response to increased intracranial pressure?

A patient is admitted to the neurological critical care unit with a severe closed head injury. When an intraventricular catheter is inserted, the intracranial pressure (ICP) is recorded at 24 mm Hg. How should the nurse interpret this reading?

A 70-year-old patient is being closely monitored in the neurological critical care unit for a severe closed head injury. After 48 hours, signs of deterioration occur: pupils are small and sluggish, pulse pressure is widening, and heart rate is bradycardic. These clinical findings are evidence of what stage of intracranial hypertension?

The primary care provider states that a patient is experiencing vasogenic edema. Why is this clinically important?

The progress notes read: the cerebellar tonsil has shifted through the foramen magnum due to increased pressure within the posterior fossa. What type of herniation is this?