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OVER 98% PASS RATE FOR THE NCS, PCS, OCS, AND GCS EXAMS › forums › NCS Advantage › ICP Values › Reply To: ICP Values

December 27, 2022 at 9:31 am #488905
Chrissy Durrough Lugge
Keymaster

Hi Megan! Thanks for this question! Normal values for ICP vary slightly depending on the reference. Generally, values less than 15 mmHg are considered normal. Values greater than 20-25 mmHg usually require treatment. On the NCS exam, they likely won’t ask questions requiring you to determine next steps on the gray areas (10-20 mmHg).

Here are a few values from the literature:
– Supine adult [1]: 7-15 mmHg
– Standing adult [1]: -10 mmHg
– Normal values in adults and older children [2]: <10-15 mmHg
- Mild intracranial hypertension [2]: 20-30 mmHg
- Severe, life-threatening hypertension [2]: >40 mmHg

[1] Rangel-Castillo L, Gopinath S, Robertson CS. Management of intracranial hypertension. Neurol Clin. 2008;26(2):521-541.
[2] Haider MN, Leddy JJ, Hinds AL, et al. Intra-cranial pressure changes after mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review. Brain Inj. 2018;32(7):809-815.