Intracranial pressure monitoring and neuro check concepts for the critical care nurse, distinct from the medical-surgical neurological nursing deck.
30 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- What is intracranial pressure (ICP)?
- The pressure exerted by brain tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid within the skull.
- What is the normal range for intracranial pressure?
- 5 to 15 mmHg
- At what ICP value is a patient generally considered to have intracranial hypertension?
- Above 20 mmHg
- Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) is calculated as ____.
- mean arterial pressure minus intracranial pressure
- What is the minimum cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) generally needed to maintain adequate cerebral blood flow?
- 60 mmHg
- What does the Monro-Kellie doctrine state?
- The skull is a fixed space, so a rise in the volume of one intracranial component (brain, blood, or CSF) must be offset by a decrease in another or ICP will rise.
- What are the three components of Cushing's triad?
- Bradycardia, hypertension with a widened pulse pressure, and irregular respirations
- What does the appearance of Cushing's triad indicate?
- A late and ominous sign of severely elevated ICP and impending brain herniation
- What is typically the earliest sign of increasing ICP?
- A change in level of consciousness
- What is considered the gold standard device for monitoring ICP?
- An intraventricular catheter (external ventricular drain)
- Besides measuring ICP, what therapeutic function can an external ventricular drain (EVD) serve?
- Draining cerebrospinal fluid to lower ICP
- What external anatomical landmark is commonly used to zero and level an EVD transducer?
- The tragus of the ear
- What three categories does the Glasgow Coma Scale assess?
- Eye opening, verbal response, and motor response
- What is the highest possible score on the Glasgow Coma Scale?
- 15
- What GCS score range generally defines a severe brain injury?
- 8 or less