• How Stethoscope Works....

    A stethoscope is a medical device for listening to sounds inside the body. The initial stethoscope was invented in the early 19th century by French physician Ren� Laennec, but was actually trying to achieve a rather different end: doctor-patient distance....

  • Care Plan For Decreased Cardiac Output...

    Nursing diagnosis for decreased cardiac output may be related to altered myocardial contractility, inotropic changes; alterations in rate, rhythm, electrical conduction; or structural changes, such as valvular defects and ventricular aneurysm. ...

  • ECG Waveforms And Components

    The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a graphic recording ofelectric potentials generated by the heart.The signals are detected by means of metal electrodes attached to the extremities and chest wall and are then amplified and recorded by the electrocardiograph. ECG leads actually display the instantaneous differences in potential between these electrodes. ...

Showing posts with label hydrocephalus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hydrocephalus. Show all posts

Monday, December 2, 2013

Signs and Symptoms of Hydrocephalus

The signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus in infants and children vary depending on their age, the degree of hydrocephalus at presentation, the primary etiology, and the time over which the hydrocephalus develops. Ventriculomegaly can progress without obvious signs of increased intracranial pressure because of the plasticity of the infant brain and the ability of the cranium to expand.

In full-term infants, signs often include macrocephaly and progressively increasing occipital frontal head circumference, crossing percentile curves. Normal head circumference for a full-term infant is 33–36 cm at birth. A normal head circumference increases by approximately 2 cm/month during the first 3 months, by 1.5 cm/month during the 4th and 5th months, and by about 0.5 cm/month from months 6–12.

Signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus in children:

Premature infants

  • Apnea
  • Bradycardia
  • Hypotonia
  • Acidosis
  • Seizures
  • Rapid head growth
  • Tense fontanel
  • Splayed cranial sutures
  • Vomiting
  • Sunsetting eyes

Full-term infants

  • Macrocephaly
  • Rapid head growth
  • Decreased feeding
  • Increased drowsiness
  • Tense fontanel
  • Vomiting
  • Distended scalp veins
  • Splayed cranial sutures
  • Poor head control
  • Parinaud’s sign
  • Sunsetting eyes
  • Frontal bossing

Toddlers and older

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Irritability
  • Lethargy
  • Delayed development
  • Decreased school performance
  • Behavioral disturbance
  • Papilledema
  • Parinaud’s sign
  • Sunsetting eyes
  • Bradycardia
  • Hypertension
  • Irregular breathing patterns
 
Read More
Powered by Blogger.

Search This Blog