Stroke / TIA

Etiology / Pathophysiology

• Brain blood flow is blocked by clot/embolus or disrupted by bleeding; TIA symptoms resolve but warn of risk.
• Ischemia or hemorrhage injures brain tissue, creating focal neurologic deficits.

Medications

Signs / symptoms

• Sudden unilateral face, arm, or leg numbness or weakness.
• Facial droop or downward arm drift.
• Sudden confusion, slurred speech, or difficulty speaking or understanding.
• Sudden visual disturbance.
• Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or poor coordination.
• Sudden severe headache without a known cause.

Nursing actions

• Determine last known well and perform focused neuro assessment.
• Maintain airway and aspiration precautions; keep NPO until swallow screen if indicated.
• Do not give antithrombotics until hemorrhage is ruled out by protocol.

Complications

• Aspiration
• Cerebral edema
• Hemorrhagic conversion
• Falls

NCLEX cues

• Facial droop, arm drift, speech change.
• Sudden severe headache can suggest hemorrhage.
• Time matters.

Memory hooks

• Stroke questions are time, airway, swallow, CT.

Labs / Diagnostics

• CT head
• Glucose check
• NIH stroke scale
• Coagulation labs when ordered

Review notes

• Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.