Increased ICP
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Increased ICP
Also testable as: Intracranial pressure
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Swelling, bleeding, tumor, infection, or blocked CSF flow increases pressure inside the skull.
- The skull cannot expand, so pressure reduces cerebral perfusion and can cause herniation.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Diuretics | Mannitol or hypertonic therapy may be used to pull fluid from brain tissue. |
Signs / symptoms
- Headache.
- Vomiting.
- Behavior or personality changes.
- Lethargy or decreasing level of consciousness.
- Weakness or numbness.
- Abnormal eye movements, diplopia, or other visual changes.
- Seizures.
Nursing actions
- Assess level of consciousness, pupils, motor response, and vital sign trends.
- Keep head midline and elevate HOB as ordered to support venous drainage.
- Avoid clustering activities that sharply increase ICP.
Complications
- Herniation
- Seizures
- Respiratory arrest
- Permanent neurologic injury
NCLEX cues
- Change in LOC is often earliest.
- Cushing response is late.
- New unequal pupils are urgent.
Memory hooks
- LOC first, Cushing late.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Neuro checks
- CT/MRI
- ICP trends if monitored
- Serum osmolality when osmotic therapy is used
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Condition card for Increased ICP: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Focused evaluation and support of airway patency, breathing effort, oxygenation, and need for escalation.
Care of a drain that removes CSF and may monitor intracranial pressure.
Focused assessment of consciousness, pupils, movement, sensation, tone, reflexes, and age-appropriate neurologic cues.
Needle procedure to collect cerebrospinal fluid or measure 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.
Sources and evidence
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000793.htmSigns / symptoms