Question

The nurse administers mannitol that has been prescribed for a patient with increased intracranial pressure. What outcome does the nurse expect after administration?

Increased urine output
Decreased blood pressure
Reduced intracranial pressure
Increased intracranial perfusion

Answer 1

Mannitol is administered to reduce intracranial pressure by promoting osmotic water loss, which leads to increased urine output.

Step-by-step explanation:

The administration of mannitol, an osmotic diuretic, is primarily aimed at reducing intracranial pressure (ICP). By promoting water loss through osmosis, mannitol works to decrease brain swelling after a head injury by moving water out of the brain tissue and into the bloodstream, and ultimately out of the body via increased urine output. This reduction in brain swelling subsequently decreases the intracranial pressure. While this increased urine output, due to the diuretic effect, might seem like a direct outcome, it is actually a means to an end—the end being the reduction of intracranial pressure.