Curr Treat Option Ne
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Raised intracranial pressure is a relatively common problem facing the clinician treating neurocritically ill patients. It is a leading cause of death in patients with intracranial pathology. There is a lack of controlled clinical trials evaluating most of the therapies currently available for raised intracranial pressure. ⋯ Patients with raised intracranial pressure should be evaluated immediately with particular attention to airway and hemodynamic status. Controlled hyperventilation and hyperosmolality (using mannitol or hypertonic saline solutions) frequently are administered simultaneously. In patients with refractory elevation of intracranial pressure other therapies such as barbiturate coma and surgical interventions are available.