Question

During a class on stroke, a junior nursing student asks what the clinical manifestations of stroke are. What would be the instructor's best answer?

a) "Clinical manifestations of a stroke depend on the area of the cortex, the affected hemisphere, the degree of blockage, and the availability of collateral circulation." b) "Clinical manifestations of a stroke generally include aphasia, one-sided flaccidity, and trouble swallowing." c) "Clinical manifestations of a stroke depend on how quickly the clot can be dissolved."
d) "Clinical manifestations of a stroke are highly variable, depending on the cardiovascular health of the client."

Answer 1

A stroke can cause various symptoms such as headache, muscle weakness or paralysis, speech disturbances, sensory problems, memory loss, and confusion.

Step-by-step explanation:

A stroke results when blood fails to reach a portion of the brain for a long enough time to cause damage. Without the oxygen supplied by blood flow, neurons in this brain region die. This neuronal death can cause many different symptoms—depending on the brain area affected— including headache, muscle weakness or paralysis, speech disturbances, sensory problems, memory loss, and confusion.

Strokes are extremely common and are the third most common cause of death in the United States. On average one person experiences a stroke every 40 seconds in the United States. Approximately 75 percent of strokes occur in people older than 65.