A 27-year-old male is admitted to the ICU due to a motor vehicle accident. He sustained a severe brain injury and is being mechanically ventilated. He has been noted to have seizure episodes that last for a minute. In taking care of patient with a traumatic brain injury, which of the following interventions are appropriate?

Explanation

• Providing a relaxing environment such as a quiet and darkened room promotes rest and sleep and also helps reduce ICP and seizure episodes

• Elevating head of bed promotes venuous flow

• Suctioning should be limited because it can increase ICP

• Clustering activities together will increase ICP. Patients with TBI need to have their activities spaced out to keep their ICP levels at baseline

• Discussion of the patient’s case should not be done at bedside, because it may cause emotional distress to the patient

• While decreasing ventilator support is essential to helping get the patient extubated, at this time it is inappropriate. A decreased support in ventilation will cause the patient to work harder, therefore increasing the ICP to dangerous levels

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