What are some nursing considerations in the treatment of hydrocephalus?
Nursing Management
- Head circumference. Measurement of the newborn’s head is essential.
- Neurologic and vital signs. Obtaining accurate vital and neurologic signs is necessary before and after surgery.
- Check the fontanelles.
- Monitor increase in intracranial pressure.
- History taking.
What are the medical management of hydrocephalus?
The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is the surgical insertion of a drainage system, called a shunt. It consists of a long, flexible tube with a valve that keeps fluid from the brain flowing in the right direction and at the proper rate. One end of the tubing is usually placed in one of the brain’s ventricles.
What is the important nursing care of an infant with increased intracranial pressure?
Nursing Interventions Interventions to lower or stabilize ICP include elevating the head of the bed to thirty degrees, keeping the neck in a neutral position, maintaining a normal body temperature, and preventing volume overload.
Can hydrocephalus be treated with medication?
There is little use for medication in hydrocephalus. In some acquired cases, as with tumors and infections, resolving the underlying condition will resolve the hydrocephalus, but most patients still require surgical intervention.
What is nursing diagnosis of hydrocephalus?
Noncommunicating hydrocephalus is caused by an obstruction within the ventricular system….Desired Outcomes.
| Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Provide a non-stimulating environment and adequate rest periods. | Continual activity and stimulation may increase intracranial pressure. |
What are the complications of hydrocephalus?
What are possible complications of hydrocephalus?
- Visual changes. Occlusion of posterior cerebral arteries secondary to downward transtentorial herniation. Chronic papilledema injuring the optic disc. Dilatation of the third ventricle with compression of optic chiasm.
- Cognitive dysfunction.
- Incontinence.
- Gait changes.
Does Lasix help with hydrocephalus?
Furosemide (Lasix) Used as adjunctive therapy with ACZ in temporary treatment of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in neonates.
How do you manage increased intracranial pressure?
When intracranial pressure becomes elevated, it is important to rule out new mass lesions that should be surgically evacuated. Medical management of increased intracranial pressure should include sedation, drainage of cerebrospinal fluid, and osmotherapy with either mannitol or hypertonic saline.
What is the nursing diagnosis of increased intracranial pressure?
Nursing Diagnosis: Ineffective Tissue Perfusion (Cerebral) related to increased intracranial pressure (ICP) secondary to hydrocephalus as evidenced by restlessness, slow reflexes, bulging fontanel, and decreased respiration and pulse rates.
What are the major complication of VP shunt?
VP shunt complications include peritonitis, inguinal hernia, perforation of abdominal organs, intestinal obstruction, volvulus, and CSF ascites. Ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt complications include septicemia, shunt embolus, endocarditis, and pulmonary hypertension.
What are the contraindications of furosemide?
Who should not take FUROSEMIDE?
- diabetes.
- a type of joint disorder due to excess uric acid in the blood called gout.
- low amount of magnesium in the blood.
- low amount of calcium in the blood.
- low amount of sodium in the blood.
- low amount of potassium in the blood.
- low amount of chloride in the blood.
- hearing loss.
What increases ICP nursing?
So, increased ICP can be caused by an increased volume within the skull. An increase in brain tissue volume might develop in the case of cerebral edema, which is an excessive buildup of fluid throughout the brain tissue. Some causes of cerebral edema include encephalitis, hyponatremia, and a large ischemic stroke.
How does furosemide decrease intracranial pressure?
Z Kinderchir. 1986 Dec;41 Suppl 1:10-2. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1043386.
What medication reduces intracranial pressure?
Medication Summary Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (eg, acetazolamide) and loop diuretics (eg, furosemide) are thought to exert their effect on ICP by reducing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production at the choroid plexus. Cardiac glycosides have a similar effect.
How do you reduce raised intracranial pressure?
What are the treatment options for increased ICP?
- placing a shunt through a small hole in the skull or in the spinal cord to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid.
- using medications like mannitol and hypertonic saline to lower pressure.
- sedation to reduce anxiety and neurological responses.