The Effects of Increased Intracranial Pressure on Respiratory Functions

Head injury in patients is frequently accompanied by respiratory disturbances, notably arterial hypoxemia and pulmonary edema (1). These findings are attributed to the increased intracranial pressure which often accompanies head injury. In animals, experimentally induced head injury or high intracranial pressure (ICP) causes a variety of circulatory and respiratory effects, such as systemic and pulmonary hemodynamic changes (2), arterial hypoxemia (3), increased CO diffusing capacity (4) and lung tissue changes (5).