Intracranial pressure: dynamics and nursing management.
Patients suffering from traumatic or nontraumatic cerebral injury often develop intracranial hypertension. Accurate monitoring and prompt management are necessary to prevent deleterious and sometimes fatal effects of intracranial hypertension. This article reviews dynamics of intracranial pressure as well as compensatory and autoregulatory mechanisms. Essential management principles focusing upon prevention are presented to promote thorough and adequate nursing care for patients at risk for intracranial hypertension.
Andrus
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Lafayette General Medical Center, Louisiana 70505.
D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology