How do you manage increased intracranial pressure in a pediatric patient?

Supporting circulation, airway and breathing are the mainstay of therapy. Head elevation, sedation, analgesia, osmotherapy and hyperventilation can rapidly lower ICP. In refractory cases barbiturate coma, moderate hypothermia and surgical decompression may be helpful.

What should a child with increased intracranial pressure should be given in order to reduce it?

What are the treatment options for increased ICP?

  • placing a shunt through a small hole in the skull or in the spinal cord to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid.
  • using medications like mannitol and hypertonic saline to lower pressure.
  • sedation to reduce anxiety and neurological responses.

How does intubation affect ICP?

The effect on ICP has not been studied directly, but endotracheal suctioning has been shown to increase ICP by a minimum of 5 mmHg [3-4]. The increase in ICP from the sympathetic surge can cause an increase in cerebral blood volume, cerebral edema, and development of worsening hemorrhage or hematoma [5-6].

Why does intubation increased ICP?

In the patient with head injury the pressor response to intubation may contribute to secondary brain injury in the following ways by: Causing a sudden increase in cerebral blood volume raising intracranial pressure (ICP). Increasing cerebral oedema formation because of the sudden rise in capillary hydrostatic pressure.

How do you monitor for increased intracranial pressure in a pediatric client?

An intraventricular catheter is the most accurate of the ICP monitoring methods. A surgeon drills a hole into the patient’s skull and inserts a catheter into the brain’s lateral ventricle. The lateral ventricle contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which protects the brain and spinal cord.

How should you position a patient with increased intracranial pressure?

In most patients with intracranial hypertension, head and trunk elevation up to 30 degrees is useful in helping to decrease ICP, providing that a safe CPP of at least 70 mmHg or even 80 mmHg is maintained. Patients in poor haemodynamic conditions are best nursed flat.

Does intubation increased ICP?

Additionally, ICP can arise as a reflex sympathetic response due to intubation and direct laryngeal reflex. Comatose patients appear to have no reaction, but the stimulation of intubation may increase ICP [7].

Who needs to intubate?

Intubation is necessary when your airway is blocked or damaged or you can’t breathe spontaneously. Some common conditions that can lead to intubation include: Airway obstruction (something caught in the airway, blocking the flow of air). Cardiac arrest (sudden loss of heart function).

What are the nursing interventions to reduce intracranial pressure?

Nursing Interventions 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.

What causes anterior fontanelle pressure to increase during intubation in neonates?

Previous studies have inferred that the elevation in anterior fontanelle pressure observed during tracheal intubation in neonates was caused by an increase in cerebral blood flow although it was never measured. In this study, direct methods were used to observe changes in the cerebral circulation.

When should intubation be performed in prehospital settings?

In prehospital settings, intubation should be performed only if there are skilled personnel available.[43] Because endotracheal intubation is a noxious stimuli and can increase ICP, appropriate medication should be used to help blunt the rise in ICP during intubation.

What is awake intubation in neonatal anesthesia?

Tracheal intubation is frequently required in neonatal anaesthetic practice. Awake intubation is one method of securing the airway and in certain circumstances, for many anaesthetists, can be preferable to intubation following induction of anaesthesia.

What is intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure (ICP)?

Intracranial Pressure and Cerebral Perfusion Pressure The basic principle in managing the pediatric patient with severe TBI after addressing the surgical evacuation of intracranial mass lesions is the insertion of an ICP monitor.