A patient with increased intracranial pressure is diagnosed with a brain tumor. What should the nurse suspect that this patient is experiencing?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

1. Astrocytomas are Grade I and II tumors that grow slowly, and the first symptom is seizures. A late symptom is increased intracranial pressure.
2. Meningiomas are extremely slow-growing tumors. There is a low incidence of the development of increased intracranial pressure.
3. Tumors of less than 1 mm in size do not result in the development of cerebral edema as there is minimal displacement of cerebral tissue.
4. Brain tumors appear to cause symptoms by different mechanisms. One mechanism is the development of cerebral edema. Cerebral edema appears to develop once tumors have increased in size beyond 1 mm. The new blood vessels that feed the tumor lack the normal blood-brain barrier and are more permeable to macromolecules, proteins, and ions, resulting in vasogenic cerebral edema. Simultaneously, macrophages and inflammatory mediators that increase vascular permeability and edema are released.

A Patient with Increased Intracranial Pressure Is Diagnosed with a Brain