Cushing's Blood Pressure: A Case Study

All of tom’s symptoms indicate a TBI. Cushing’s Triad indicates a raise in Intracranial Pressure (ICP). Cushing’s triad consists of Increased systolic pressure, Decreased pulse rate (bradycardia) and Irregular respiratory pattern (Leon-Villapalos, 2012). Tom’s blood pressure Increased from 150/90mm Hg to 170/100mm Hg within only 10 minutes. His heart rate went from 70 to 55 and his respiratory rate has increased from 18 to 22 and has stayed irregular. This shows that the Cushing’s triad is happening to Tom, meaning his intracranial pressure (ICP) is rising. Tom is at a GCS three which means he has no eye, verbal or motor response. After a patient goes under the GCS of 8 with a TBI, surgery is the only way to keep them alive (Nickson, 2017).
External evidence of a TBI in Tom is a hematoma and complaint of a headache. Evidence of a TBI in alerted level of conscious (ALOC) is a reduced GCS and the patient may be agitated which Tom was. Another sign of TBI is unequal/unreactive or dilated pupils (Leon-Villapalos, 2012). Tom’s pupils were found
A primary brain injury is the damage to the brain at the moment of impact (Tran, 2014). This damage to the brain initiates oedema, inflammation and ischemia which if not controlled could lead to a secondary brain injury (Tran, 2014). If these factors are not controlled they may worsen the secondary brain injury by further disrupting cerebral blood flow (CBF), supply of oxygen and glucose to support cerebral metabolic activity and homeostasis (Leon-Villapalos, 2012). The brain requires a constant energy supply as it has a high metabolic activity. For the brain to have a normal neuronal function is needs a constant supply of oxygen and glucose delivered by the cerebral supply (Leon-Villapalos). When Tom hit his head on the cement footpath he acquired a primary brain injury, Tom’s body is still compensating and has not yet preceded to a secondary brain