Traumatic Brain Injury and Increased Intracranial Pressure

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects approximately 1.4 million individuals and has a mortality rate greater than 30% in the first 72 hours after injury. The patient with TBI can present a significant challenge for the perianesthesia nurse in the acute care setting. Increased intracranial pressure is a common consequence of TBI and the rapid assessment and management can affect the long term outcome of the patient with TBI. New monitoring modalities have been developed to monitor cerebral blood flow and nutritional supply to neurologic tissues. A case scenario will be used to identify priorities for the perianesthesia nurse caring for this challenging patient.