Time to answer our Stroke Certification question of the week! The question was: A patient is brought to the emergency room and arrives at 8:00 am. The husband states she woke up with slurred speech at 7:15 am. which rapidly deteriorated to arm weakness and aphasia. Which of the following would be the most accurate statement? a. She is a candidate for tPA and needs to have a CT scan performed immediately. b. She meets the window of opportunity for tPA but requires assessment for any contraindications. c. This is called a “wake-up” stroke, and she is not a candidate for tPA. d. She should have a standard MRI instead of a noncontrast CT scan due to her presentation. ANSWER: C Patients who wake up with symptoms of a stroke are said to suffer “wake-up strokes.” Their last known normal is the last time they were known to be awake and normal. The clock does not start at the time of their awakening but before they went to sleep. She does not meet the window of opportunity or meet the criteria to receive rtPA. An immediate CT scan is indicated, not necessarily a standard MRI. For more information on the SCRN® Exam Review eLearning course, visit: meded.cvent/scrn-elearning?REFID=FACEBOOK
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 16:34:20 +0000
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