title: The effect of respiratory therapy on intracranial pressure in ventilated neurosurgical patients.
abstract: Considerable concern has been expressed about the effect of respiratory therapy on intracranial pressure (I.C.P.) in the acute stage of head injury. A study was performed to evaluate the effects of respiratory therapy techniques on the level of I.C.P. in neurosurgical patients. Twenty subjects were studied in both the paralysed and non-paralysed states. Their intracranial pressures were monitored during periods of no treatment (the control), during the application of individual respiratory techniques and during a complete respiratory treatment. Analyses revealed that total treatment time is a crucial factor in the level of I.C.P. Patients with a high resting I.C.P. are more vulnerable to large increases, prolonged manual hyperinflation raises I.C.P. level and suctioning, in particular, causes dramatic increases in I.C.P.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garradd
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bullock