ABSTRACT
Many ICU patients have acutely altered neurological function, whether from chemical sedation, disease of other organs/systems or specific neurological disease/damage. Some ICUs specialise in neurosurgery or neuromedicine, but most units receive patients with head injuries and cranial pathologies. Many conditions, such as meningitis, hepatic failure, can increase intracranial pressure, causing both acute confusion and physiological complications. Assessing and monitoring neurological function is therefore important for all ICU patients.
