Intracranial pressure, or ICP, is the pressure inside the skull exerted on the brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid and circulating blood volume in the brain. At rest the ICP is normally between 7-15 mmHg but fluctuates since it is affected by various factors including exercise, coughing, blood pulsation, respiration etc.
If the head is subjected to a trauma there is a risk of a post-traumatic buildup of the pressure in the brain as a result of the injury. In critical cases a head trauma may cause severe swelling of the brain that might potentially be lethal. During these circumstances it is vital to closely monitor the intracranial pressure. When performing intracranial pressure monitoring the smallest possible pressure catheter is usually always preferred.
For more information about intracranial pressure monitoring and other preclinical applications see Preclinical >> and Intracranial pressure (ICP) >>.