🩺 Nursing Question of the Day

Challenge yourself with one exam-style nursing question every day.

✅ Think carefully • ✅ Choose your answer • ✅ Then scroll down to check the explanation.

🧠 Posterior Circulation Stroke

✅ Answer: (A) Sudden vertigo with ataxia

📖 What is a Posterior Circulation Stroke?

Posterior = Back part of the brain
Circulation = Blood supply
Stroke = Sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain

👉 A posterior circulation stroke occurs when blood flow through the vertebral or basilar arteries is blocked, affecting the brainstem, cerebellum, occipital lobes, and parts of the thalamus.

🩺 Why is Option (A) Correct?

The cerebellum and brainstem control balance and coordination.

When these areas are affected, patients commonly develop:

• ✔ Sudden vertigo (spinning sensation)
• ✔ Ataxia (loss of coordination and unsteady gait)
• ✔ Difficulty walking
• ✔ Nausea and vomiting
• ✔ Diplopia (double vision) or dysarthria may also occur

👉 Therefore, sudden vertigo with ataxia is a classic presentation of a posterior circulation stroke.

❌ Why Other Options Are Wrong?

(B) Isolated Wrist Pain
❌ Wrist pain is a musculoskeletal symptom and is not suggestive of stroke.

(C) Bilateral Ankle Edema
❌ Ankle edema is commonly associated with heart failure, renal disease, or venous insufficiency—not acute stroke.

(D) Chronic Cough
❌ Chronic cough is related to respiratory disorders and is not a typical manifestation of posterior circulation stroke.

📝 Posterior vs Anterior Circulation Stroke

📌 Exam Tip: Posterior circulation strokes may not present with the classic FAST symptoms alone. Sudden vertigo, ataxia, diplopia, dysarthria, and difficulty walking are important warning signs and should prompt immediate stroke evaluation.