A patient becomes flaccid with fixed and dilated pupils. The patient's ICP falls from 65 to 12 mm Hg. What should the nurse suspect is happening?
a. The patient is having a seizure.
b. The patient's brain has herniated.
c. The patient's cerebral edema is resolving.
d. The patient is excessively dehydrated from the mannitol.
B
Herniation of intracerebral contents results in the shifting of tissue from one compartment of the brain to another and places pressure on cerebral vessels and vital function centers of the brain. If unchecked, herniation rapidly causes death as a result of the cessation of cerebral blood flow and respirations. Signs and symptoms of brain herniation include fixed and dilated pupils, flaccidity, and respiratory arrest. The intracranial pressure drops as the pressure is relieved by shifting the intracranial components downward.
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