What are the medical interventions expected for ICP?
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What is this article about?According to the Monro-Kellie hypothesis, the three components of the cranial vault (brain matter, cerebrospinal fluid and blood) can be considered to have a fixed total volume; therefore, if one of the three components increases in volume, there is little capacity for the total intracranial volume to increase. This results in raised intracranial pressure, which can have a variety of serious consequences  Learning you'll loveAn Ausmed Subscription will unlock access to 1,000+ learning resources. High quality education helps you provide high quality care. ContentsTest Your Knowledge
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Meet the educatorsAusmed Editorial Team Ausmed’s editorial team is committed to providing high-quality, well-researched and reputable education to our users, free of any commercial bias or conflict of interest. All education produced by Ausmed is developed in consultation with healthcare professionals and undergoes a regular rigorous review process to ensure the relevancy of all healthcare information and updates to changes in practice. If you have identified an issue with the education offered by Ausmed or wish to submit feedback to Ausmed's editorial team, please email with your concerns. View Profile Sally Moyle Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Nurse Educator Sally Moyle is a rehabilitation nurse educator with Epworth HealthCare. She has completed her masters of nursing (clinical nursing and teaching) and has experience in many nursing sectors including rehabilitation, orthopaedic, neurosurgery, emergency, aged care and general surgery. Sally is passionate about education in nursing in order to produce the best nurses possible. View Profile Here's some further inspirationPractice AreasAusmed PremiumTo access this resource, sign up for Ausmed Premium. With Premium, you’ll have unlimited access to everything you need to take your education and care to the next level. There are so many different subjects on Ausmed! I thought it'd be hard to find the resources I need for complicated procedures or rarer conditions, but they've had everything I've looked for so far. - Jacob, Enrolled Nurse Headaches are a common complaint. Most people have headaches at some time in their lives. But you can't fix all headaches with some over-the-counter pain medicine and a nap. Sometimes your headache is a sign of a serious medical emergency called
increased intracranial pressure (ICP). ICP is what happens when there is excess fluid or swelling inside your skull. The increase in volume over-fills the limited space in your skull and puts pressure on your brain. One key symptom of increased intracranial pressure may be a
bad headache. ICP is a medical emergency. You should call for help immediately if you think you are experiencing increased intracranial pressure. One of the most common causes of increased intracranial pressure is an injury to your brain or skull. The trauma leads to bleeding or swelling inside your skull. That pressure
from the excess fluid or the swelling can harm your brain tissue or your spinal column. You should talk to your doctor if you have had a head injury. They may want to monitor you for possible ICP. A stroke
is another common reason for increased pressure in your skull. Some types of stroke cause blood vessels in your brain to burst. The blood pools around your brain. This causes pressure. Call 911 right away if you think you are having a stroke. Other causes of increased intracranial pressure include: ICP may start with a headache.
The headache may be sudden and excruciating. It might also stay mild and steadily get worse over time. But the building pressure on your brain will cause other symptoms. These symptoms may clue you in that your headache is not just normal discomfort. Other symptoms of increased intracranial pressure include: Contact your doctor right away if you have a headache along with any of these symptoms. When you see a doctor for possible ICP, they may do several of the following tests to diagnose the issue. Physical exam. Your doctor will ask you about any recent injuries or
illnesses. They may check your blood pressure and examine your eyes for signs of neurological problems. They will also test your senses, balance, and mental status. Spinal tap. Your doctor may use a needle to check the pressure of the fluid around your spine. This can indicate that there is increased pressure around your brain. CT scan or
MRI. Your doctor can see images of your brain by using CT or MRI scans. They will show any injuries and the location of swelling or fluid build-up. Your treatment will depend on the reason for your intracranial swelling. Your doctor will choose a treatment option for you once they know what is causing the problem. Medication. Some medications can reduce swelling in your brain. If you have
a blood clot in your brain, your doctor may give you medicine to dissolve it. Draining fluid. Your doctor can place a device called an external ventricular drain (EVD). This will allow excess fluid to flow out of your skull through tubes. Your doctor can put in a shunt if you need
drainage from your brain for a longer time. A shunt is a tube placed inside your body to direct fluid from your brain into your abdomen. Surgery. Sometimes your doctor will need to operate to relieve the pressure inside your brain. The type of surgery will depend on the cause of the pressure. Doctors may need to repair an injury, stop any bleeding, or remove a tumor. Any treatment for ICP will be more effective the sooner you get it. Waiting to get medical attention
puts you at risk for brain damage. Intracranial pressure is a medical emergency. Call a doctor right away if you suspect you or someone you know has increased intracranial pressure. What are interventions for increased intracranial pressure?Interventions to lower or stabilize ICP include elevating the head of the bed to thirty degrees, keeping the neck in a neutral position, maintaining a normal body temperature, and preventing volume overload. The patient must be stabilized before transport to radiology for brain imaging.
Which of the following nursing interventions is appropriate for a client with increased intracranial pressure of 21 mmHg?The answer is C. A ventriculostomy is a catheter inserted in the area of the lateral ventricle to assess ICP. It will help drain CSF during increase pressure readings and measure ICP. The nurse must monitor for ICP levels greater than 20 mmHg and report it to the doctor.
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