HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ropper, A. H. Articles by Kennedy, S. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ropper, A. H. Articles by Kennedy, S. K.

Head position, intracranial pressure, and compliance

Neurological/Neurosurgical ICU, Department of Neurology and Anesthesiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.

The effect of head position on intracranial pressure (ICP) and intracranial compliance was determined in 19 consecutive ICU patients. Ten had lower ICPs with the head raised 60 degrees, two were lower at 0 degrees, and seven were unchanged. Compliance improved with head elevation in five patients, improved with head lowering in four, and was unchanged in 10. The use of subarachnoid screw devices for compliance measurements was validated by simultaneously recording intraventricular and subarachnoid pressures in four patients. Optimal head positioning for patients with raised ICP should be established individually rather than routinely caring for patients with the head elevated.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Ropper, Neurological/ Neurosurgical ICU, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114.

Presented at the thirty-fourth annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 1982, Washington, DC.

Accepted for publication April 19, 1982.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. A. Blissitt, P. H. Mitchell, D. W. Newell, S. L. Woods, and B. Belza Cerebrovascular Dynamics With Head-of-Bed Elevation in Patients With Mild or Moderate Vasospasm After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Am. J. Crit. Care., March 1, 2006; 15(2): 206 - 216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. W. Wojner-Alexander, Z. Garami, O. Y. Chernyshev, and A. V. Alexandrov Heads down: Flat positioning improves blood flow velocity in acute ischemic stroke Neurology, April 26, 2005; 64(8): 1354 - 1357. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Schwarz, D. Georgiadis, A. Aschoff, and S. Schwab Effects of Body Position on Intracranial Pressure and Cerebral Perfusion in Patients With Large Hemispheric Stroke Stroke, February 1, 2002; 33(2): 497 - 501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]