WHY IS ICP MONITORING DONE FOR THE LAYPERSON

You may not be a medical person, but may have to live through
a family member or friend being cared for in the ICU. There 
are some simple facts that might help.

What if you walked in to the ICU to find a family member
connected to equipment such as ICP monitoring? Scary!

What does ICP mean and why is it done?

ICP means Intracranial Pressure Monitoring. This refers to a
method of monitoring pressures inside the brain. If someone
has sustained a brain injury like hemorrhagic stroke, car or
skiing accident, a blow to the head after falling and more,
ICP Monitoring may be done. An EVD ( external ventricular
device) is inserted by the doctor, to relieve swelling in the
brain and measure the pressures.



Preparation for ICP monitoring:

The doctor under sterile conditions, introduces a device to
measure the brain pressures and sometimes drain the excess
blood and fluids. Medications may also be used, as ordered
by the doctor. When ICP monitoring is done, the brain injured
patient requires adequate rest and calm. Trained medical staff
usually discuss with the family, how to help with a full recovery.

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