Module 8: Increased Intracranial Pressure Flashcards
What is a normal ICP?
5-15mmHg
What are some causes of disruption of ICP
- Head injury
- Infection
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Subdural/epidural hematomas tumors
- Stroke
3 places that INTRACRANIAL HEMORRHAGE happens in the brain?
- INTRACEREBRAL
- SUBDURAl
- EPIDURAL
What is HYDROCEPHALUS?
Accumulation of CSF in the brain
What is a treatment for HYDROCEPHALUS?
A brain shunt to drain the excess fluid from the brain
Side effects of a brain shunt?
- Redness and tenderness along the line of the shunt.
- A high temperature of 38C or above.
- Headache.
- Vomiting.
- Neck stiffness.
- Abdominal pain if the shunt drains into abdm
- Irritability or sleepiness in babies
S and S of inc ICP?
know at least 5, theres a lot
- Decreased LOC
- Anxiety, Irritability, Restlessness, Confusion
- Pupil changes
- Increased BP
- Decreased pulse
- Changes in respiration
- Changes in temperature
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache, seizure
- Positive Babinski reflex
- Fixed dilated pupils
- Absent Reflexes
- Abnormal Posturing
- decerebrate or decorticate
- Flacidity
No matter what the cause, inc ICP results in:
Decreased cerebral perfusion, stimulates further increased swelling and shifts brain tissue
What is a fatal outcome of inc ICP?
Herniation through openings in the Dura mater
What is CUSHING’S TRIAD and when is it triggered?
- Bradycardia
- Irregular breathing
- Widening pulse pressure
- Triggered by inc ICP
What diagnostics are used for inc ICP?
- CT
- MRI
- ICP monitoring
How can you monitor ICP?
Insertion of External Ventricular Drain (EVD) allows for monitoring and decreasing of ICP
What is a surgical intervention for decreasing ICP?
A craniotomy
What is Mannitol?
Its a diuretic that can help reduce ICP
Plans of care for a patient with inc ICP
- Maintenance of a patent airway
- Normalization of respiration
- Adequate cerebral tissue perfusion through reduction
in ICP - Restoration of fluid balance
- Absence of infection
- Absence of complications
