hemiparesis

(hem″e-pә-re´sis)
paresis (paralysis) affecting one side of the body.
cerebral edema
swelling of the brain caused by the accumulation of fluid in the brain substance. It may result
from head injury, stroke, infection, hypoxia, brain tumors, obstructive hydrocephalus, or lead
encephalopathy; it may also be caused by disturbances in fluid and electrolyte balance that
accompany hemodialysis and diabetic ketoacidosis. The most common type is vasogenic edema,
and another type is cellular edema from ischemia or hypoxia of the brain. Because the brain is
enclosed in the skull, edema compresses blood vessels and decreases blood flow, which causes
ischemia and hypoxia and then further edema; this can destroy brain tissue and cause death.
cranial nerves
nerves that are attached to the brain and pass through the openings of the skull. There are 12
pairs of cranial nerves, distributed mainly to the structures of the head and neck. The one
exception is the vagus nerve, which extends downward to structures in the chest and abdomen.
Some of the cranial nerves control movement, some conduct sensory impulses, and some do
both.
scalp
(skalp)
that part of the skin of the head (exclusive of the face) which is usually covered by a growth of
hair.
Glasgow Coma Scale
a standardized system for assessing response to stimuli in a neurologically impaired patient,
assessing eye opening, verbal response, and motor ability. Reaction scores are depicted in
numerical values, thus minimizing the problem of ambiguous and vague terms to describe the
patient's neurologic status. The total score is obtained by adding E, M, and V; a score of 7 or less
indicates coma and a score of 9 or more rules out coma.
cerebrospinal fluid
the fluid within the subarachnoid space, the spinal canal, and the four ventricles of the brain. It is
formed continuously by the choroid plexuses in the ventricles, and, so that there will not be an
abnormal increase in fluid amount and intracranial pressure, it is reabsorbed into the blood by the
arachnoid villi at approximately the same rate at which it is produced. The cerebrospinal fluid
helps protect the brain, spinal cord, and meninges by acting as a watery cushion surrounding
them to absorb the shocks to which they are exposed. There is a blood-brain barrier (also called
the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier) that prevents harmful substances, such as metal poisons,
some pathogenic organisms, and certain drugs, from passing from the capillaries into the
cerebrospinal fluid. See also cerebrospinal pressure and intracranial pressure.

analgesic
(an″әl-je´zik)
1. relieving pain.
2. pertaining to analgesia.
3. an agent that relieves pain without causing loss of consciousness.
antagonist
(an-tag´ә-nist)
1. antagonistic muscle.
2. a substance that tends to nullify the action of another, as a drug that binds to a cellular receptor
for a hormone, neurotransmitter, or another drug blocking the action of that substance without
producing any physiologic effect itself. See also blocking agent.
3. a tooth in one jaw that articulates with one in the other jaw.
H1 receptor antagonist
any of a large number of agents that block the action of histamine by competitive binding to the
H1 receptor. Such agents also have sedative, anticholinergic, and antiemetic effects, the exact
effect varying from drug to drug, and are used for the relief of allergic symptoms and as
antiemetics, antivertigo agents, sedatives, and antidyskinetics in parkinsonism. This group is
traditionally called the antihistamines.
H2 receptor antagonist
an agent that blocks the action of histamine by competitive binding to the H2 receptor; used to
inhibit stomach secretions in the treatment of peptic ulcers.
brace
(brās)
1. an orthopedic appliance or apparatus applied to the body, particularly the trunk or lower limbs,
to support the weight of the body, to correct or prevent deformities, or to control involuntary
movements. See also orthosis.
2. (in the pl.) orthodontic appliance.
collar
(kol´әr)
a type of orthosis worn around the neck for support and stabilization.
mannitol
(man´ĭ-tol)
a sugar alcohol widely distributed in plants and fungi; it is an osmotic diuretic administered to
prevent and treat acute renal failure, to reduce cerebral edema or elevated intraocular or
cerebrospinal fluid pressure, and to reduce renal damage due to toxic substances; also used as an
irrigating solution to prevent hemolysis during transurethral resection of the prostate and similar
transurethral procedures.
diazepam
(di-az´ә-pam)
a benzodiazepine used primarily as an antianxiety agent, and also used as a skeletal muscle
relaxant, anticonvulsant, antitremor agent, antipanic agent, as preoperative or preprocedural
medication to relieve anxiety and tension, and in the management of alcohol withdrawal
symptoms; administered orally, rectally, intravenously, or intramuscularly.
phenytoin
(fen´ĭ-toin″)
an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy other than the absence type, the treatment of
status epilepticus, and the prevention and treatment of seizures associated with neurosurgery;
administered orally. Called also diphenylhydantoin.
intubation
(in″too-ba´shәn)
the insertion of a tube, as into the larynx or gastrointestinal tract; the purpose varies with the
location and type of tube inserted; generally it is done to allow drainage, to maintain an open
airway, or to administer anesthetics or oxygen.
Pco2
the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood; also written PCO2, pCO2.
PaO2
symbol for partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood;
hypertension
(hi″pәr-ten´shәn)
persistently high blood pressure. In adults, it is generally agreed that blood pressure is
abnormally high when the systolic pressure is equal to or greater than 140 mm Hg and the
diastolic pressure is equal to or greater than 90 mm Hg. The two major types are essential
hypertension and malignant hypertension.
hypotension
(hi″po-ten´shәn)
diminished tension; lowered blood pressure. A consistently low blood pressure (systolic pressure
less than 100 mm of mercury) usually is no cause for concern and may even be associated with
long life. However, extremely low blood pressure may be a sign of a serious condition such as
shock, massive hemorrhage, hypovolemia, or severe dehydration from nausea and vomiting.
(adj., hypoten´sive.
postural hypotension
a fall in blood pressure when a person goes from lying down or sitting to standing, with
dizziness, blurred vision, and often fainting; it can be acquired or idiopathic and either transient
or chronic. Occasionally this symptom is part of a disorder of the central nervous system such as
the Shy-Drager syndrome.
bradycardia
(brad″e-kahr´de-ә)

slowness of the heartbeat, so that the pulse rate is less than 60 per minute. This can occur in
normal persons, particularly during sleep; trained athletes also usually have slow pulse and heart
rates. (adj., bradycar´diac.)
mean arterial blood pressure
the average arterial blood pressure in a given artery over a complete cycle of one heartbeat; in
the brachial artery it is calculated to be the diastolic blood pressure plus 1/3 of the difference
between the systolic and diastolic pressures.
cerebral perfusion pressure
the mean arterial pressure minus the intracranial pressure, a measure of the adequacy of cerebral
blood flow.
Hypoxemia
(hi″pok-se´me-ә)
deficient oxygenation of the blood. The most reliable method for measuring the degree of this is
blood gas analysis to determine the partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood. Insufficient
oxygenation of the blood may lead to hypoxia.