Hydrocephalus: The Pressure Test

Hydrocephalus: The pressure test

ICP (Intracranial Pressure) Monitoring, something I’ve heard about before, seen other Hydro warriors go through but, hadn’t experienced for myself until last week.

I went through the normal motions and feelings before surgery. Knowing that a piece of fibre optic transducer sensor would be going through my brain and resting inside one of the ventricles, was probably as far as my knowledge would allow me to go.

This should give you a bit of context when it comes to what the pressure should be:

“Intracranial pressure (ICP) is the pressure inside the skull and thus in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ICP is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and, at rest, is normally 7–15 mmHg for a supine adult.[1] The body has various mechanisms by which it keeps the ICP stable, with CSF pressures varying by about 1 mmHg in normal adults through shifts in production and absorption of CSF. Changes in ICP are attributed to volume changes in one or more of the constituents contained in the cranium. CSF pressure has been shown to be influenced by abrupt changes in intrathoracic pressure during coughing (intra-abdominal pressure), Valsalva manoeuvre, and communication with the vasculature (venous and arterial systems).