ABSTRACT
Many ICU patients have acutely altered neurological function, whether from chemical sedation, disease of other organs/systems, or specific neurological disease/damage. Patients unconscious on admission may have suffered hypoxic brain damage, which can only be fully assessed on waking. Some ICUs specialise in neurosurgery or neuromedicine, but most units receive patients with head injuries and cranial pathologies. Many conditions, such as meningitis or hepatic failure, can increase intracranial pressure, causing both acute confusion and physiological complications. Nurses should therefore assess and monitor neurological function.
