neuro question

[MsShanRN]

Hi all,

I just finished clinicals on a neuro ICU and have become very interested in this field. I'm just amazed at how the brain functions and when things go wrong. I pretty much understood all the procedures I did, such as zeroing and transducing ICP's and EVD's, but I'm still not clear on what a "dampened" waveform is. Can someone please explain a little further?

Thanks,

sc:uhoh3:

[poppy07]

dampening is how sharply the wave is reflected...for example, with arterial lines---you can have over or under dampening related to bubbles in the line, etc. this will either exaggerate the waveform or make it more sloppy/rounded. the point is, get a good square wave test and look at how the waveform is. check the line for bubbles, and get them out.

[NEWBETHRN]

Waveforms are critical when it comes to ICP monitoring. The waveform tells us a lot about the the number we are getting. A normal ICP waveform should have peaks and valleys similar to but not as large as an arterial waveform. We can test how valid a number is by doing a square wave test on all of our waveforms that are connected to a flush system. ICP monitoring is not connected to a flush system so this is not an option. If the ICP waveform does not have the peaks and valleys then it is considered dampened and may not be giving us true numbers. If we are measuring ICPs via a ventriculostomy then we can assess the system further by ensuring it is draining and that the output has not decreased or changed color. Frequently I have seen my waveform dampen out then I loose output and the ventric either needs to be flushed or changed out entirely.