When teaching a patient with symptoms of a stroke about diagnostic tests, the nurse should explain which of the following as the purpose of a CT scan?
1. differentiate hemorrhagic from ischemic causes of the stroke
2. pinpoint the exact area of the brain affected by the stroke
3. determine the effectiveness of the cerebral circulation to perfuse all areas of the brain
4. evaluate how much brain swelling is associated with this stroke
1
Rationale: A CT scan will be used to rule out a hemorrhagic stroke from an ischemic stroke especially if thrombolytic therapy is being considered and to determine any areas of localized hematoma formation as a result of a hemorrhage. A CT scan will not pinpoint the exact area of the brain affected by the stroke. A CT alone will not determine the effectiveness of cerebral circulation or determine how much the brain swelling has occurred because of the stroke.
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A) precision B) accuracy C) clarity D) relevance
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