Hydrocephalus
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Hydrocephalus
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Excess CSF results from obstruction, impaired absorption, overproduction, congenital malformation, hemorrhage, or infection.
- CSF accumulation enlarges ventricles and raises pressure, threatening brain tissue and development.
Medications
No specific medication class was seeded for this card.
Signs / symptoms
- Bulging fontanel and increasing head circumference.
- Sunsetting eyes.
- Shunt malfunction signs mimic ICP.
Nursing actions
- Assess head circumference, fontanel, sutures, vomiting, feeding, irritability, sunset eyes, and LOC.
- Monitor for increased ICP and shunt malfunction/infection if a VP shunt is present.
- Teach caregivers to report fever, vomiting, lethargy, irritability, redness along shunt tract, or bulging fontanel.
Complications
- Increased ICP
- Developmental delay
- Shunt infection
- Shunt obstruction
NCLEX cues
- Bulging fontanel and increasing head circumference.
- Sunsetting eyes.
- Shunt malfunction signs mimic ICP.
Memory hooks
- Hydrocephalus is too much CSF pressure.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Head circumference trends
- Cranial ultrasound/CT/MRI
- Neuro checks
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Condition card for Hydrocephalus: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Folate teaching is preconception and early pregnancy teaching.
Care of a drain that removes CSF and may monitor intracranial pressure.
Fluid around the brain and spinal cord.
Device that drains CSF and monitors pressure in selected neuro clients.
Pressure inside the skull that can threaten brain perfusion when elevated.
Focused assessment of consciousness, pupils, movement, sensation, tone, reflexes, and age-appropriate neurologic cues.
Shunt drains excess CSF from ventricles to the peritoneal cavity.