Increased intracranial pressure
Topic: Medical-surgical
Rising pressure inside the skull as the volume of brain tissue, blood or cerebrospinal fluid grows from trauma, bleeding, a tumor or edema. The earliest sign is a change in level of consciousness; Cushing's triad (hypertension, bradycardia and irregular respirations) is a late warning of brain herniation, and abnormal posturing signals severe brain damage. Raise the head of the bed to 30°, keep the head midline and perform frequent neurological checks.
- Also known as:
- Increased ICP, Raised intracranial pressure
- In Turkish:
- Kafa içi basınç artışı
What does Increased intracranial pressure mean?
Increased intracranial pressure is part of the Medical-surgical topic in nursing. Students meet it in class, on clinical placements and while preparing for exams.
Search the whole glossary, add terms to your sets and review them in the Finito Nursing app.
Related terms
Sources
- Open RN, Health Alterations (CC BY 4.0)
- Open RN, Nursing Health Promotion (CC BY 4.0)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH
- National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- El-Menyar et al., Scoping Review on True and Relative Bradycardia in Trauma: How to Approach Bradycardia in Traumatic Brain Injury (Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research, 2026; CC BY 4.0)