What complication should a nurse monitor for in a patient requiring intracranial pressure monitoring?

When a patient is required to undergo intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring, monitoring for infection is critically important due to the invasive nature of the procedure. ICP monitoring typically involves the placement of a catheter or a sensor in the cerebral ventricles or other intracranial spaces, presenting a direct pathway for pathogens to enter the central nervous system. Infection can lead to serious complications such as meningitis or encephalitis, which can worsen the patient’s neurological status and overall prognosis.

The signs often associated with infection include fever, increased white blood cell count, changes in neurological status, and possibly cerebrospinal fluid changes if sampling is involved. Early detection and prompt treatment of any signs of infection can significantly alter the course of recovery.

Other options, while they may present concerns in a patient with elevated intracranial pressure, do not specifically relate to the direct complications of having a device monitoring ICP like infection does. Coma is a potential result of severe ICP elevation itself rather than a complication of monitoring, apnea may occur due to different neurological issues unrelated to the monitoring procedure, and high blood pressure can be a response to elevated ICP but is not directly linked to the procedure itself.