The nurse is caring for a patient whose recent ultrasound of the carotids diagnosed a 90% occlusion of the right carotid artery and a 92% occlusion of the left carotid artery
The patient asks the nurse, "If one of these arteries becomes completely occluded will I have a stroke?" What is the nurse's best response? A) "A common vessel receiving all blood to the head called the circle of Willis will distribute blood from other arteries to the brain as needed."
B) "A stroke is caused by lack of blood supply to a part of the brain so if your right carotid artery becomes blocked you'll have a stroke on the right side of your brain."
C) "It is hard to predict exactly what will happen so you'll have to wait until your provider sees you because only the provider can answer that question."
D) "With only 10% of the blood needed getting through your right artery and 8% through your left artery, you could have a stroke now."
A
Feedback:
All the arteries that supply blood to the head deliver blood to a common vessel at the bottom of the brain called the circle of Willis, which distributes the blood to the brain when it is needed. The role of the circle of Willis becomes apparent when someone has an occluded carotid artery. Although the passage of blood through one of the carotid arteries may be negligible, the areas of the brain on that side will still have a full blood supply because of the blood sent to those areas through the circle of Willis. All other options are incorrect.
You might also like to view...
An elderly patient suspected of having delirium will likely display which of the following clinical manifestations? Select all that apply
A) Sudden onset of agitation B) Disorganized thinking pattern C) Altered level of consciousness D) Ravenous appetite for sweets E) Sleeping for long periods
A nurse is educating a group of nursing assistants in long-term care on the prevention of skin tears. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the education? (Select all that apply.)
a. Lubricate the resident's skin with moist-urizers twice daily b. Ensure that the resident has adequate nu-trition and hydration c. Bathe the resident in hot soapy water d. Avoid the use of lifting shifts when trans-ferring the resident e. Dress the resident in long sleeves and long pants to protect the extremities
The nurse is assessing the blink reflex in a client who is blind. Which is the best technique to use?
a. Ask the client to blink first with one eye and then with the other. b. Expel a syringe of air toward the client's eyes. c. Shine a bright light at the client's pupils one at a time. d. Suddenly bring a finger toward the client's face.
Under which circumstance is washing hands with soap and water more necessary than just using an alcohol-based hand rub for decontaminating the hands?
A. After removing the gloves after starting an IV on an adult client B. After providing direct care to an older client who is taking antibiotics C. Before donning sterile gloves when preparing to insert a urinary catheter D. Before carrying a dinner tray to a client who is infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus