Intracranial Pressure Monitor Insertion

What is an intracranial pressure monitor?

An intracranial pressure monitor is an invasive clinical method used in the intensive care unit for patients with a severe traumatic brain injury. Intracranial pressure monitoring is used for rapid recognition and real-time assessment of elevated intracranial pressure. This is stopped when there is normal intracranial pressure over 24 to 48 hours or when the patients have recovered enough to obey commands. 

When is a ventriculoperitoneal shunt needed?

An intracranial pressure monitor is commonly recommended for the management of severe head trauma. It may also be recommended for cerebrospinal fluid circulatory disorders, and for either diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to reduce pressure in the brain.

Other indications for intracranial pressure monitoring may include:

  • To investigate an infection which may be caused by a shunt
  • To investigate for possible occlusion or blockage of the shunt
  • A closed head injury
  • Severe traumatic brain injury which results in a Glasgow coma score that is below 8
  • Non-surgical intracranial haemorrhage
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Intracranial tumours
  • Cerebral oedema
  • Hepatic encephalopathy
  • A head injury with the risk of catastrophic herniation or brainstem compression

How is an intracranial pressure monitor inserted?

During the procedure, you will be under general anaesthesia, and your hair over the affected area will be shaved off. Local anaesthesia will then be administered and an incision will be made to access the skull. A hole is then drilled through the skull, and the catheter is inserted through an opening made in the skull to the area of the brain that contains excess cerebrospinal fluid. An intracranial pressure monitor probe will be laid in the brain and is connected and calibrated to a recording device which will help the neurosurgeon determine the brain’s state while being ventilated. Intracranial pressure measurements are then used alongside other clinical indicators to help tailor their critical care.

parallax background