Intracranial pressure monitoring and management of intracranial hypertension

Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is considered the standard of care in the majority of neurosurgical centers in North America and Europe. ICP is a reflection of the relationship between alterations in craniospinal volume and the ability of the craniospinal axis to accommodate added volume. ICP cannot be reliably estimated from any specific clinical feature or CT finding and must be directly measured. This review describes methods of monitoring ICP and how monitoring technique can provide additional information and provides key points regarding the treatment of intracranial hypertension in the neuro-ICU.