Cerebrovascular Accident CVA Stroke Nursing Diagnosis and Nursing Care Plan

Cerebrovascular Accident CVA Stroke Nursing Care Plans Diagnosis and Interventions

Stroke NCLEX Review and Nursing Care Plans

Stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when a part of the brain’s blood supply is cut off causing oxygen deprivation and death to brain tissues. It is also known as cerebrovascular accident CVA.

Stroke can affect the brain’s functions and the effect depends on which part of the brain is affected.

Stroke can be categorized as hemorrhagic or ischemic depending on its cause.

Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

The clinical manifestations of stroke may occur suddenly. It is critical to seek immediate medical help as soon as possible to achieve a better outcome from treatment.

• Difficulty speaking and understanding what others are saying – people having stroke may become confused and have slurred speech and have difficulty understanding other people’s words.
• Sudden paralysis of the face, arm, or leg – sudden onset of weakness, typically on one side of the body, is often noted in people having stroke.
• Problems with vision in one or both eyes – vision changes may occur when having stroke. The person may complain of sudden double vision or loss of vision.
• Headache – a person having stroke may complain of a sudden severe headache mostly accompanied by vomiting, dizziness, or confusion.
• Unsteady gait – weakness may affect the person’s coordination and alter the ability to walk.

Organizations and health institutions are recommending the use of the acronym “FAST” which refers to the following:

F – Face – a drop in one side of the face when the person smiles.

A – Arms – one arm will drop when both arms are raised at the same time.

S – Speech – slurred speech when asked to repeat a simple phrase.

T – Time – call for help when the above signs are observed.

Causes of Stroke

Like the other organs in the body, brain cells need oxygen to survive. Anything that can cause disruption to the blood supply in the brain can cause stroke.

The causes of stroke can be categorized as hemorrhagic or ischemic.

Hemorrhagic stroke – occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts allowing blood to seep through the brain which causes the surrounding brain cells to die. The following are the common causes of blood vessel rupture:

• High blood pressure
• Overuse of blood thinners or anticoagulants
• Aneurysm
• Trauma such as in a car accident
• Having protein deposits in the blood vessel wall such as in cases of cerebral amyloid angiopathy
• Ischemic stroke leading to hemorrhage

Ischemic stroke – occurs when a blood vessel is severely narrowed or occluded causing a significant reduction or total loss of blood supply in the brain.

This is the most common cause of stroke accounting to about 85% of cases reported.

The most common cause is a blood clot from elsewhere in the body that gets dislodged in one of the blood vessels in the brain.

One of the risks of having Atrial Fibrillation is that the condition can cause a stroke.

Another condition that may occur is transient ischemic attack (TIA) or “mini” stroke. It is a condition where the blood supply is cut off temporarily.

It only lasts for a few minutes to about 24 hours. It is often a warning sign to a full-blown stroke in the future hence prompt treatment is also necessary.

Complications of Stroke

1. Paralysis. Paralysis on one side of the body is quite a common complication following stroke.
2. Problem talking and swallowing. Stroke can affect the muscles responsible for talking and swallowing. Slurring of speech is often seen in people who had stroke.
3. Memory loss and problems with logical thinking
4. Emotional issues. Stroke can be challenging to some people and coping with it can affect their emotional state.
5. Pain. Some people with stroke can develop pain from the loss of sensation on one side of the body.
6. Difficulty to carry out activities of daily living. Stroke can have lasting side effects that reduce the ability to carry out simple tasks.

Diagnosis of Stroke

• Blood tests – to measure the clotting ability, blood sugar level, and possible presence of infection.
• CT scan of the brain –helpful in the diagnosis of stroke. It will give detailed images of the brain that can show the presence of bleeding, ischemia, or tumor.
• MRI scan – another form of brain imaging that can be done if the CT scan is inconclusive or if a more detailed image of the brain is needed.
• Carotid scan – an ultrasound study of the carotid artery may be performed to observe for plaques in the arterial wall and assess the blood flow towards the brain.
• Echocardiogram – to look for possible blood clots in the heart that could cause ischemia to blood vessels in the brain.

Treatment of Stroke

Immediate medical attention is critical to prevent permanent disability.

1. Administration of drugs to break up clots through intravenous injection – drugs that can dissolve clots will restore blood supply to the brain and prevent further damage. Giving the drugs intravenously allows for quicker delivery of drugs where it is needed.
2. Emergency endovascular procedures
   • Administration of medications to break clots directly into the brain – medications can be administered directly into the brain through endovascular procedures. A catheter is inserted into the groin through an artery which will then thread to the brain.
   • Removal of the blood clot through a stent retriever – a procedure to retrieve the clot can also be performed via stent insertion. A catheter is inserted to thread into the brain and then a stent is inserted in the tube to reach the part of the brain where the clot is.
3. Carotid endarterectomy – this procedure involves the removal of plaque build-up in the carotid artery. This procedure carries risks especially in people with heart problems.
4. Angioplasty and stents – the use of angioplasty balloons and stents can open a narrowed blood vessel.

For Hemorrhagic Stroke:

Controlling the bleeding is the focus of treatment in hemorrhagic stroke.

1. Emergency procedures includes the following:
   • Use of drugs to counteract the effects of blood thinning medications
   • Blood transfusion – to thicken blood by improving blood volume
   • Anti-hypertensives – drugs to lower blood pressure
2. Surgical intervention – in cases of severe bleeding, surgical procedures to evacuate the blood and repair blood vessels may be required.
3. Surgical clipping – this procedure involves the clipping of an aneurysm to prevent it from bursting or to control the bleeding if it has already ruptured.
4. Endovascular embolization – a procedure that involves the use of coils to block the ruptured blood vessel.
5. Surgical AVM removal – this procedure is only performed if the AVM is easily accessible in the brain.
6. Stereotactic radiosurgery – this procedure involves the use of highly focused radiation to correct blood vessel malformations.

Stroke CVA Nursing Diagnosis

Nursing Care Plan for Stroke 1

Nursing Diagnosis: Ineffective Tissue Perfusion (Cerebral) related to cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure (ICP) secondary to stroke as evidenced by drowsiness, confusion, headache, irritability, and memory problems

Desired Outcome: The patient will re-establish effective cerebral tissue perfusion as evidenced by increased level of consciousness (i.e. awake and alert) and will show orientation with persons, places, and things.

Nursing Care Plan for Stroke 2

Nursing Diagnosis: Impaired physical mobility related to paralysis of one side of the body secondary to stroke as difficulty of movement, unsteady gait, generalized weakness, inability to do activities of daily living (ADLs) as normal, and verbalization of overwhelming tiredness/ fatigue

Desired Outcome: The patient will be able to perform activities of daily living within the limits of the present condition.

Nursing Care Plan for Stroke 3

Nursing Diagnosis: Self-Care Deficit related to physical limitations secondary to stroke as evidenced by inability to bathe, get dressed, and perform toileting activities as normal, and decreased level of strength and endurance

Desired Outcome: The patient will be able to demonstrate optimal performance of ADLs or activities of daily living.

Nursing Care Plan for Stroke 4

Risk for Unilateral Neglect

Nursing Diagnosis: Risk for Unilateral Neglect related to neurologic illness secondary to stroke

• The patient will exhibit and practice techniques that can be used to reduce unilateral neglect
• The patient will verbalize ways how to care for both sides of his/her body away from harm.
• The patient will demonstrate an optimized functioning level.
• The patient’s safety will be maintained and free from harm.
• The patient will adapt to physical disability.

Nursing Care Plan for Stroke 5

Nursing Diagnosis: Risk for Disuse Syndrome related to physical immobilization secondary to stroke

• The patient will express understanding of the methods to decrease immobilization.
• The patient’s relatives will demonstrate methods to help the patient to ambulate and do a diversional activity.
• The patient will express comfort after the rehabilitation interventions.
• The patient’s relative will demonstrate proper transfer techniques.

The weight should be on the patient’s stronger side.Teach the relatives of the patient to transfer most simply and safely to the unaffected side.

The patient should be put on the side closest to the bed or chair if the patient wanted to be transferred.

Nursing Care Plan for Stroke 6

Acute Pain

Nursing Diagnosis: Acute Pain related to hemiplegia secondary to stroke as evidenced by the patient’s verbalization of shoulder stiffness, immobility, spasticity, and contractures.

• The patient expresses that the pain scale lessen.
• The patient will show understanding regarding recovery and rehabilitation techniques.
• The patient will verbalize the absence of side effects from the pain medications.
• The patient will show understanding of the diversional activities and relaxation skills.

More Nursing Diagnosis for Stroke CVA

• Impaired Verbal Communication
• Disturbed Sensory Perception
• Risk for Impaired Swallowing
• Risk for Injury/ Fall

Nursing References

Ackley, B. J., Ladwig, G. B., Makic, M. B., Martinez-Kratz, M. R., & Zanotti, M. (2020). Nursing diagnoses handbook: An evidence-based guide to planning care. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Gulanick, M., & Myers, J. L. (2022). Nursing care plans: Diagnoses, interventions, & outcomes. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Ignatavicius, D. D., Workman, M. L., Rebar, C. R., & Heimgartner, N. M. (2020). Medical-surgical nursing: Concepts for interprofessional collaborative care. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Silvestri, L. A. (2020). Saunders comprehensive review for the NCLEX-RN examination. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Disclaimer:

Please follow your facilities guidelines and policies and procedures.

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes.

This information is not intended to be nursing education and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Anna Curran. RN-BC, BSN, PHN, CMSRN I am a Critical Care ER nurse. I have been in this field for over 30 years. I also began teaching BSN and LVN students and found that by writing additional study guides helped their knowledge base, especially when it was time to take the NCLEX examinations.