Which intervention should the nurse perform first?

Whenever someone hits their head hard or gets hit hard by an object, this can cause the brain to swell. For example, swelling occurs even on the outside of the body. If you stub your toe hard, it might swell bigger.

The same thing could happen to the brain. When the brain swells, pressure from the skeletal system could weigh down on the brain. This is known as intracranial pressure or ICP.

If a teenager comes into the hospital with a closed head injury that he received in a motor vehicle accident, he may be suffering from intracranial pressure. The doctors would monitor the pressure and if it increases, then the patient’s head may be repositioned to avoid neck flexion.