Module 11 - Herniation Syndrome Flashcards
Normal ICP{
5-15 mmHg`
The head is a confined cavity with a non expandable skull, what are the 3 compatments that make up the volume?
10% - Blood volume
10% CSF
80% Brain tissue
Monroe Kellie Hypothesis
change in volume of one compartment can be compensated for by a change in one or both of the other two compartments
What two compartments are most able to compensate for changes in ICP?
CSF or Blood Volume
What can increase CSF
excessive production
decreased absorption
obstructed circulation
What can decrease CSF
translocation to the spinal subarachnoid space (basal cisterna)
or
Increased reabsorption
What can increase Blood Volume (BV)
vasodilation of cerebral blood vessels
OR
obstruction of venous outflow
What can decrease Blood volume
low pressure venous system has limited buffering capacity (since blood likes to go high to low)
blood flow control by autoregulatory mechanisms (hyperventilation to decrease PCO2 which leads to vasoconstriction (which can lower blood volume)) - but vasoconstriction is temporary before compensation through vasodilation
Effects of Increased ICP
obstructs cerebral blood flow (cannot go high to low or it cant flow at all)
destroys brain cells
displaces brain tissue (herniation)
damages delicate brain structures
Cerebral Compliance
as cerebral volume increases from brain tumor, cerebral edema, and hematoma there is some compliance in pressure to allow change in volume
Change in volume / Change in Pressure!!!
Pressure-Volume Curve
once compensatory mechanisms are exceeded, even small changes in volume cause dramatic increases in pressure in the brain
Cerebral perfusion pressure
70-100 mmHg
CPP = MABP - ICP
Brain ischemia occurs in CPP is…
<50-70 mmHg
If ICP is greater than or equal to MABP, what happens?
there is a very low pressure so inadequate tissue perfusion, cellular hypoxia, and neuronal death occur
Stages of Intracranial HTN
Stage 1 - Compensation
Stage 2 - Increased ICP
Stage 3 - Decompensation
Stage 4 - Herniation or Loss of CPP
Stage 1: Compensation
occurs on a normal basis
increased volume in one compartment –> decrease in one or both of other compartment volumes
ICP remains near normal
Stage 2: Increased ICP
Brain responds by constricting cerebral arteries to reduce pressure but results in hypoxia and hypercarbia and deterioration of brain function
Stage 3: Decompensation
cerebral arteries respond to hypoxia and hypercarbia with reflex dilation –> this increases Blood volume –> this further increases ICP
Small changes in intracranial volume at this point results in large changes in pressure
Stage 4: Herniation or Loss of CPP
Swelling and pressure lead to herniation
if ICP = MABP (or higher than) means there is no cerebral perfusion
The earliest and most reliable sign of increased ICP is…
decrease in level of consciousness
Cushing Reflex
CNS ischemic response triggered by ischemia of vasomotor center in the brain
Rarer nowadays because of ICP monitoring
Late indicator of Increased ICP
A last ditch effort
What are the three responses in the Cushing Triad/Reflex
- Increased MABP (body trying to perfuse brain)
- Widening Pulse Pressure (systolic - diastolic because diastolic gets very high)
- Reflex Bradycardia (baroreceptors in carotids tell vasomotor center to tell vagus center to slow heart to decrease ICP and prevent herniation)
What does it mean by the Cushing Reflex being a Last Ditch effort?
it is a last ditch effort to maintain cerebral circulation (and regulate BP)
Brain Septae
protects against excessive brain tissue movement
help divide the brain and keep things where they should be
Falx Cerebri
sickle shaped brain septae
separates the two hemispheres of the brain (left and right)