Mr. J. Pate
EMT Basic
23 November 2014
Intracranial Pressure Intracranial Pressure is pressure built within the cranium (head). This can be caused by different factors such as pressure built up in the cerebrospinal fluid. Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Another causing agent of intracranial pressure can be the pressure within the brain itself or even a mass located within the brain. Bleeding into the brain can also cause intracranial pressure (MedlinePlus, 2014). To monitor pressure within the skull, medical professionals typical use three methods. These methods consist of an interventricular catheter, a subdural screw, and an epidural sensor. Though the three methods are used every day, the interventricular …show more content…
When using an interventricular catheter, a hole must be drilled through the skull to allow the catheter to be inserted into the lateral ventricle. The lateral ventricle contains cerebrospinal fluid which would then be drained through the catheter. The second monitoring skill used by medical professionals is the subdural screw. This way of monitoring the intracranial pressure within the patient’s brain is used in incidents where the patient needs immediate monitoring. For the procedure, a hole would be drilled through the skull so that a hollow screw may be inserted. This technique is done through the dura mater which allows recording from inside the subdural space to take place. The third procedure used by medical professionals is called an epidural sensor. Like the subdural screw, the epidural sensor