Full Course Description

Neurological Challenges: New Medications & Promising Interventions to Change Practice

Program Information

Target Audience

Nurses, Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists/Physical Therapist Assistants, Physician Assistants, Speech-Language Pathologists

Objectives

  1. Manage adult-onset neurological disorders with the latest treatments.
  2. Determine optimal interventions based on neuro symptom presentation.
  3. Evaluate when pharmacological and non-pharmacological options are recommended.
  4. Dissect the very latest research for neurological disease.
  5. Analyze the latest emerging neurological diseases.
  6. Breakdown the procedure for intracranial monitoring.
  7. Employ algorithms of care for neurological emergencies.
  8. Correlate neuroanatomy to presenting clinical manifestations.
  9. Provide guidelines for maximizing the neuro assessment.
  10. Exploit common neuro problems occurring in degenerative diseases.
  11. Communicate controversial issues relating to patient care.
  12. Explore the latest information emerging on neurological diseases.

Outline

Toolbox for Assessment

  • Simplifying neuro assessment through application of neuro anatomy
  • Correlate pathophysiology with clinical manifestations
  • NIHSS and GCS, brain death, Mini
  • Mental, verbal fluency, memory, right and left hemisphere function, CAM assessment

Neurological Testing

  • CT, CTA, arteriogram, MRI, perfusion

10 Leading Neurological Disorders

  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Updated recommendations for care
  • Practical approaches for measuring IICP
  • Research on neuroprotective agents

Stroke Patient

  • Maximizing time to needle time for ischemic stroke
  • The 5 D’s for identifying posterior stroke
  • Wading through the clinical practice guidelines for blood pressure management in stroke patients
  • Stroke and the young adult
  • Expanding the window of care

Alzheimer’s Disease

  • “Still Alice”: Mild, moderate and severe
  • Treatment for cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms
  • From “mice to men”: Hope is on the horizon
  • Caregiver support

Epilepsy

  • Seizure types and treatment
  • Unprovoked seizure: Work-up and treatment decisions
  • Status epilepticus

Parkinson’s Disease

  • Traditional and alternative medicine treatment
  • Deep brain stimulation

Brain Tumor

  • Integrated care: Conventional treatments and supportive therapies

HIV

  • Neurological manifestations
  • Diagnostic work-up

Multiple Sclerosis

  • Unpredictable disease of CNS
  • Diagnostic criteria
  • Current treatment practices

ALS

  • Clinical manifestations; Diagnostic work up
  • Assistive technology challenge
  • Clinical trials

Emergent Neurological Disease: Zika and Guillain Barré

Commonalities and Unique Problems:

  • Aphasia
  • Dysarthria
  • Dysphagia
  • Visual problems
  • Mobility
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Hemi-inattention
  • Anosognosia
  • Pseudobulbar affect (PBA)
  • Spasticity
  • Dizziness and vertigo
  • Bowel and bladder dysfunction
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Depression
  • Social isolation
  • Caregiver fatigue

Pharmacological Therapy

  • Osmotic diuretics
  • Sedatives and pain medications
  • Antispasmodic medications
  • Antiseizure medications
  • Antidepressants
  • Medications to prevent and treat stroke
  • Chemotherapy for brain tumors
  • Disease modifying agents for MS
  • Corticosteroids
  • Medications to treat:
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Alzheimer’s Disease

Copyright : 05/17/2017

Mastering the Neurological Assessment

Objectives

  1. Analyze the primary causes of acute mental status changes.
  2. Apply 3 tests that assess proprioception and cerebellar function.
  3. Detect patients at risk for delirium and learn how to respond to it.

Outline

  • Anatomical Factors
    • How they drive changes expected on assessment
  • Six Areas of a Thorough Neurological Exam
    1. Mental Status Exam
    2. Cranial Nerves
    3. Proprioception and Cerebellar Function
    4. Motor Strength
    5. Sensory Function
    6. Deep tendon reflexes and Babinski
  • Glascow Coma Scale
  • 3 Mnemonics for Common Causes of Acute Mental Status Changes
  • Understanding delirium and how it impacts patient outcomes
  • Meningeal Signs - different tools for different ages!
    • Kernig’s Sign
    • Brudzinski’s Sign
    • Nuchal Rigidity

Program Information

Target Audience

Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists

Copyright : 09/20/2013