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Intracranial pressure (ICP) is the pressure exerted by fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the skull and on the brain tissue. ICP is measured in millimeters of mercury and at rest, is normally 7–15 mmHg for a supine adult. This equals to 9–20 cmH 2 O, which is a common scale used in lumbar punctures. [1]
It can cause complications such as vision impairment due to intracranial pressure , permanent neurological problems, reversible neurological problems, seizures, stroke, and death. [1] However, aside from a few Level I trauma centers, ICP monitoring is rarely a part of the clinical management of patients with these conditions.
Under normal conditions, regular movements such as leaning forward, normal heartbeat and breathing can cause changes to the ICP. Intracranial monitoring accounts for this by averaging measurements over 30 minutes in non-comatose patients. Readings between 7-15mmHg are considered normal in an adult, 3-7mmHg in children, and 1.4-6mmHg in infants. [4]
Cushing reflex (also referred to as the vasopressor response, the Cushing effect, the Cushing reaction, the Cushing phenomenon, the Cushing response, or Cushing's Law) is a physiological nervous system response to increased intracranial pressure (ICP) that results in Cushing's triad of increased blood pressure, irregular breathing, and bradycardia. [1]
Patients may have a history of loss of consciousness but they recover and do not relapse. Clinical onset occurs over hours. Complications include focal neurologic deficits depending on the site of hematoma and brain injury, increased intracranial pressure leading to herniation of brain and ischemia due to reduced blood supply and seizures.
In 1940, Henry Woltman of the Mayo Clinic wrote about "headaches associated with decreased intracranial pressure". The full clinical manifestations of intracranial hypotension and CSF leaks were described in several publications reported between the 1960s and early 1990s. [ 94 ]
Presence of midline shift is an indication for neurosurgeons to take measures to monitor and control ICP. [1] Immediate surgery may be indicated when there is a midline shift of over 5 mm. [3] [4] The sign can be caused by conditions including traumatic brain injury, [1] stroke, hematoma, or birth deformity that leads to a raised intracranial ...
The ICP gradually falls but remains slightly elevated, and the CSF pressure reaches a high normal level of 15 to 20 cm H 2 O. Measurements of ICP, therefore, are not usually elevated. Because of this, patients do not exhibit the classic signs that accompany increased intracranial pressure such as headache, nausea, vomiting, or altered ...