Question

The nurse is assessing an adolescent 1 hour after admission for a head injury. the nurse identifies that there have been changes since the baseline assessment, including apnea, bradycardia, and a widening pulse pressure. what is the primary reason for the nurse to notify the physician?

Answer 1

The answer to the question above is this: The changes suggest that the adolescent’s intracranial pressure is increasing. Given that the injury is specifically in the head and the client is experiencing apnea, bradycardia, and a widening pulse pressure, this indicates the the changes in the baseline assessment is a result of increased intracranial pressure. When there is an increase in the ICP, this results in headache and if persists, this would lead to the damage of the brain and the spinal cord. Increased intracranial pressure happens commonly when someone experiences a head injury, such as internal bleeding and swelling, or the presence of a mass in the brain.