Chapter 7: Moving and positioning
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Anatomy and physiology
Injury or disease within the brain can lead to raised ICP. As the skull is a rigid structure and its contents – the brain, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) – are non‐compressible, any increase in one of these or an expanding mass results in an increase in ICP (Lindsay et al. [61]). As the volume increases, the pressure rises exponentially to a critical level (Figure 7.37).
Figure 7.37 Causes of raised intracranial pressures. CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; ICP, intracranial pressure.
Causes of raised ICP include:
- expanding mass: tumour, haematoma or abscess
- hydrocephalus (excess CSF)
- cerebral oedema (Lindsay et al. [61]).
