Case Study: The Case of the Man with the Weak Arm
I. Definitions
A. Essential Hypertension
i. Essential hypertension is high blood pressure that doesn't have a known secondary cause. It is also referred to as primary hypertension.
B. Hypercholesterolemia
i. an excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream.
C. Afebrile
i. not feverish.
D. Stroke
i. a sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain
E. Thrombosis
i. local coagulation or clotting of the blood in a part of the circulatory system.
F. Dysarthria
i. difficult or unclear articulation of speech that is otherwise linguistically normal.
G. Hemiparesis
i. muscular weakness or partial paralysis restricted to one side of the body
H. Stenosis …show more content…
Mild headaches that happen frequently.
D. Albert was alert and anxious, but his speech was slurred.
E. Albert indicated intact tactile sensory function, decreased strength of the right extremities, a diminished gag reflex, diminished right deep tendon reflexes and right facial droop.
III. Contributing Factors
A. Albert was 72 years old.
B. Albert smoked at least 1 pack of cigarettes a day for the last 40 years.
C. Both of his parents died of strokes when they were in their mid-sixties.
D. Previously diagnosed with essential hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
E. Skipped his antihypertensive medication.
IV. Diagnosis
A. Albert has symptoms of thrombolytic stroke and a b-blocking antihypertensive. Since that these symptoms are only happening to one side of his body, he contains hemiparesis. And since his speech is slurred, he possibly has dysarthria.
V. Treatment
A. Albert will be given some aspirin for the possibility of thrombosis. A head CT scan and various blood tests are needed to see what is further …show more content…
Plasmin is an important enzyme present in blood that degrades many blood plasma proteins, including fibrin clots.
VI. Prognosis/Future Recommendations
A. Take his medication everyday, no skipping
i. Digoxin for the atrial flutter ii. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor for the hypertension iii. Anti-thrombolytic therapy (325 mg aspirin/day)
B. He should stop smoking and change his diet.
C. Know the acronym FAST.
i. F: Face Drooping ii. A: Arm Weakness iii. S: Speech Difficulty iv. T: Time to Call 911
VII. Epidemiology
A. Brain damage caused by head injuries, cancerous growths in a person's brain, or disease may also lead to the development of muscle weakness. Muscle weakness appears in the side of the person's body that corresponds to the area of the brain that has been injured. Damage to the person's spinal cord may include damage caused by trauma, such as injuries received through a fall, a car accident, or a wound received in a fight or combat. Conditions including multiple sclerosis, as well as some forms of cancer, may also cause lesions on a person's spinal cord that interfere with the functioning of their nerves. Stroke is the most common reason people develop
I. Definitions
A. Essential Hypertension
i. Essential hypertension is high blood pressure that doesn't have a known secondary cause. It is also referred to as primary hypertension.
B. Hypercholesterolemia
i. an excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream.
C. Afebrile
i. not feverish.
D. Stroke
i. a sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain
E. Thrombosis
i. local coagulation or clotting of the blood in a part of the circulatory system.
F. Dysarthria
i. difficult or unclear articulation of speech that is otherwise linguistically normal.
G. Hemiparesis
i. muscular weakness or partial paralysis restricted to one side of the body
H. Stenosis …show more content…
Mild headaches that happen frequently.
D. Albert was alert and anxious, but his speech was slurred.
E. Albert indicated intact tactile sensory function, decreased strength of the right extremities, a diminished gag reflex, diminished right deep tendon reflexes and right facial droop.
III. Contributing Factors
A. Albert was 72 years old.
B. Albert smoked at least 1 pack of cigarettes a day for the last 40 years.
C. Both of his parents died of strokes when they were in their mid-sixties.
D. Previously diagnosed with essential hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
E. Skipped his antihypertensive medication.
IV. Diagnosis
A. Albert has symptoms of thrombolytic stroke and a b-blocking antihypertensive. Since that these symptoms are only happening to one side of his body, he contains hemiparesis. And since his speech is slurred, he possibly has dysarthria.
V. Treatment
A. Albert will be given some aspirin for the possibility of thrombosis. A head CT scan and various blood tests are needed to see what is further …show more content…
Plasmin is an important enzyme present in blood that degrades many blood plasma proteins, including fibrin clots.
VI. Prognosis/Future Recommendations
A. Take his medication everyday, no skipping
i. Digoxin for the atrial flutter ii. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor for the hypertension iii. Anti-thrombolytic therapy (325 mg aspirin/day)
B. He should stop smoking and change his diet.
C. Know the acronym FAST.
i. F: Face Drooping ii. A: Arm Weakness iii. S: Speech Difficulty iv. T: Time to Call 911
VII. Epidemiology
A. Brain damage caused by head injuries, cancerous growths in a person's brain, or disease may also lead to the development of muscle weakness. Muscle weakness appears in the side of the person's body that corresponds to the area of the brain that has been injured. Damage to the person's spinal cord may include damage caused by trauma, such as injuries received through a fall, a car accident, or a wound received in a fight or combat. Conditions including multiple sclerosis, as well as some forms of cancer, may also cause lesions on a person's spinal cord that interfere with the functioning of their nerves. Stroke is the most common reason people develop