The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
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Patients with an external ventricular drain (EVD) may not be readily mobilized because of concerns of catheter dislodgment and/or inappropriate cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Delayed mobilization may result in longer hospital stays and an increased risk for complications related to immobility. We aimed to determine the safety, feasibility, and outcome of an EVD mobilization protocol in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). ⋯ The mobilization of patients with EVDs is safe and feasible; it may be associated with earlier mobilization, reduced ICU LOS, and better discharge disposition. No major complications were attributable to early mobilization.
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Intracranial pressure (ICP) is often obtained via external ventricular drain (EVD) placement and is discussed as a key vital sign in neuroscience. Nurses are most often delegated the task of observing, adjudicating, and documenting ICP. Cerebrospinal fluid drainage requires that the transducer connected to the EVD is open to drain, prohibiting ICP monitoring. ⋯ The conditional probability increased to 0.0402 if ICP is observed for 10 minutes. There were no instances of ICP elevation requiring intervention. The results suggest that at least 5 minutes of ICP monitoring is safe and is required to provide an ICP value that reflects true ICP.