Increased Intracranial Pressure (ICP)

Traumatic injuries due to traffic accidents, sports or violence induced incidents, represent one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality nowadays. Significant portion of all trauma cases include head trauma, which can be divided into fractures, brain traumatic injuries, hematomas (both extra axial and parenchymal) and diffuse axonal injuries (DAI). Recognition of the signs and symptoms is of uttermost importance, for head trauma can be as mild as every day bruises and bumps to the head, or severe and life threatening. Rapid recognition, dedicated diagnosis and adequate imaging which lead to proper treatment - both conservative and surgical - are essential for the best possible, complication- and sequel-free, outcome.

This article provides a clinical run through increased intracranial pressure for the USMLE step 2 examination. It defines raised ICP, goes through its pathophysiology, progression and special forms, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment (management, including patient monitoring). References for the work are included at the bottom.

Brain herniation is a potentially fatal condition that may present as a rise in intracranial pressure. The following text describes the various clinical signs to recognize this condition and the possible measures one can take to treat it.