Cerebral Blood Flow & ICP Flashcards
This lecture deals with:
- Cerebral Blood flow and its determinents
- Cerebral Oedema
- ICP & Compliance
- ICP Monitoring
- Cushing’s (Vasopressor) reflex
- Cerebral Herniation
- Management of Raised ICP
What is the normal rate of cerebral blood flow and what constitutes ischaemia?
- ~60ml/100gtissuemin
Ischaemia is considered to be when it hits 20ml/100g/min
What factors affect Cerebral blood flow?
- Cerebral Perfusion Pressure (MAP - ICP)
- PaCO2 & PaO2
How do arterial O2 & CO2 affect cerebral blood flow?
High PaCO2 causing cerebral arteries to dilate
High PaO2 causes cerebral arteries to constrict
Since cerebral perfusion pressure can vary how does the body ensure the brains blood supply remains fairly constant?
Cerebral Autoregulation
High CPP -> Arteriolar Constriction
Low CPP -> Arteriolar Dilation
This enables the body to maintan a constant Cerebral blood flow over CPPs of 50-150mmHg
In what cases does Cerebral Autoregulation fail?
When the capacity for autoregulation fails e.g. stroke
When the CPP because too high or low e.g. hypertensive crisis
What is the monro-kelly doctrine
It states that since the cranium is a rigid cage, any increase in intracranial volume (e.g. bleed) will will cause an increase in pressure.
How does the brain compensate for increases in intracranial volume so the pressure doesnt increase?
By Forcing out venous blood and CSF into the Jugulars and spinal subarachnoid place.
This is called “Compliance”
What does a high vs low compliance mean?
High compliance means an increase in intracranial volume wont increase ICP much.
As intracranial volume increases compensatory mechanisms are used up and Compliance falls until it fails
What do we call the point at which cerebral compliance fails?
The Critical Volume
What are the types of cerebral oedema?
- Vasogenic
- Cytotoxic
- Interstitial
Describe vasogenic cerebral oedema?
Local breakdown of the BBB, usualy traumatic.
Allows fluid to pass into hte extracellular spaces of the brain
Describe Cytotoxic Cerebral Oedema?
Damage to cells in the brain or altered metabolisms causing them to retain water
–> Intracellular Oedema
E.g. during infarction
Describe Interstitial Oedema?
Disruption of the CSF-brain Barrier allowing CSF to flow into the interstitial spaces of the brain
What would we see when monitoring ICP?
A three peaked Waveform