Intracranial monitoring in patients with head trauma.

The treatment of head-injured patients has over the past 15 years become significantly more complex and involved. The rising interest in the treatment of these patients has been driven in large part by the growing body of evidence showing that there is a definite association between elevated ICP and increased mortality and long-term morbidity. The effective treatment of intracranial hypertension with hyperventilation, osmotic agents, and barbiturate therapy has been aided by the regular use of ICP monitoring in most neurosurgical centers. A continuing and ongoing record of ICP allows for the judicial and appropriate use of modern treatment modalities.