Final answer:
A patient with alteration in ICP is often given vasoactive agents, such as vasoconstrictors, to help manage the condition. Examples of vasoconstrictors include prostaglandins, products released by activated platelets, leukocytes, and endothelins. Other medications that may be given are osmotic diuretics.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient with alteration in ICP (intracranial pressure) will often be given vasoactive agents to help manage the condition. Vasoactive agents are medications that can constrict or dilate blood vessels. In the case of elevated ICP, vasoconstrictors may be given to help reduce cerebral blood flow and lower the pressure inside the skull.
Examples of vasoconstrictor agents include prostaglandins, products released by activated platelets, leukocytes, and endothelins. These medications work by narrowing the blood vessels, which can help reduce blood volume in the brain and decrease intracranial pressure.
Other medications that may be given in the management of alteration in ICP are osmotic diuretics such as mannitol. Osmotic diuretics work by increasing the osmolarity of the blood, which pulls fluid out of the brain and into the bloodstream, thereby reducing intracranial pressure.