(4)
Advanced age.
(5)
Diabetes.
d. Signs and Symptoms.
(1)
Highly dependent upon size and site of lesion.
(2) Motor loss--hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the side) or hemiparesis
(motor weakness on one side of the body).
(3)
Communication loss.
(a) Receptive aphasia (inability to understand the spoken word).
(b)
Expressive aphasia (inability to speak).
(4)
Vision loss.
(5)
Sensory loss.
(6)
Bladder impairment.
(7)
Impairment of mental activity.
(8)
In most instances onset of symptoms is very sudden.
(a) Level of consciousness may vary from lethargy, to mental
confusion, to deep coma.
(b) Blood pressure may be severely elevated due to increased
intracranial pressure.
(c)
Patient may experience sudden, severe, headache with nausea
and vomiting.
(d)
Patient may remain comatose for hours, days, or even weeks, and
then recover.
(e) Generally, the longer the coma, the poorer the prognosis.
(9) Increased intracranial pressure is a frequent complication resulting from
hemorrhage or ischemia and subsequent cerebral edema.
MD0919
2-60