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Early and Late Signs of Increased Intracranial Pressure

Early signs of increasing intracranial pressure include confusion, lethargy, pupil dilation and sluggish reaction to light, weakness on one side of the body, and blurred vision. Late signs include worsening consciousness to include coma, hemiplegia, cranial nerve issues, seizures, vomiting, irregular pulse, increased blood pressure, breathing problems, and impaired brain stem reflexes. The vital signs of blood pressure, pulse, and temperature remain stable in the early stages but become irregular in the late stages as the condition deteriorates further.

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Rhae Raynog
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9K views8 pages

Early and Late Signs of Increased Intracranial Pressure

Early signs of increasing intracranial pressure include confusion, lethargy, pupil dilation and sluggish reaction to light, weakness on one side of the body, and blurred vision. Late signs include worsening consciousness to include coma, hemiplegia, cranial nerve issues, seizures, vomiting, irregular pulse, increased blood pressure, breathing problems, and impaired brain stem reflexes. The vital signs of blood pressure, pulse, and temperature remain stable in the early stages but become irregular in the late stages as the condition deteriorates further.

Uploaded by

Rhae Raynog
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SUBMITTED BY: Rachel M.

Raynog BSNIIIBSNIII-A8

EARLY
DETERIORATION IN THE LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Early signs are confusion, restlessness, lethargy, and disorientation first to time, then to place, and then to person

PUPILLARY DYSFUNCTION RELATIVE TO SIZE, SHAPE, AND REACTION TO LIGHT:


Early signs are a gradual dilation, a slightly ovoid shape, and a sluggish response to light ipsilateral to the lesion

MOTOR WEAKNESS AND SENSORY DEFICITS


Early signs are monoparesis, hemiparesis, and decreased visual acuity, such as blurred vision, diplopia, and field

EARLY
HEADACHE -Early signs are slight or vague headache which

is the worst upon arising in the morning


BLOOD PRESSURE

-Relatively stable in early stages


PULSE

-Relatively stable in early stages


TEMPERATURE

- Within normal ranges during compensatory stage

LATE
DETERIORATION IN THE LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Later signs are stupor and coma

PUPILLARY DYSFUNCTION RELATIVE TO SIZE, SHAPE, AND REACTION TO LIGHT:


Later signs are dilation of the ipsilateral pupil and a non-reactivity to light Final stage signs are bilateral dilation and fixation

MOTOR WEAKNESS AND SENSORY DEFICITS


Later signs are hemiplegia, decortication, or decerebration (either unilateral or bilateral) and triple

LATE
CRANIAL NERVE PARALYSIS POSSIBLE SEIZURES, POSSIBLE VOMITING (INCLUDING PROJECTIVE VOMITING), AND POSSIBLE PAPILLEDEMA RESPIRATIONS

-acute neurogenic pulmonary edema, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy can result from an acute increase in ICP.

LATE
BLOOD PRESSURE -Increased blood pressure and a widening pulse in later

stages which signal cerebral dysfunction that may be irreversible


o Cushing's response (a compensatory response that attempts to provide adequate CPP in the presence of rising ICP) presents as a rising systolic pressure, a widening pulse pressure, and bradycardia and is a late presentation of brain stem dysfunction o Cushing's triad (a very late presentation of brain stem dysfunction) presents as hypertension, usually with a widening pulse pressure, bradycardia, and abnormal respiratory patterns

LATE
PULSE
oIrregular, rapid, and thready in the decompensatory stage

TEMPERATURE
oHigh temperatures can occur during decompensatory stage

IMPAIRED BRAIN STEM REFLEXES, SUCH AS CORNEAL AND GAG REFLEXES

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