Below are common terms that may be used during your stay. As always, if you have any questions or are uncertain about anything that is said or communicated while in the ICU, please ask to clarify. Your understanding of your care, or that of your loved one, is important to us.
Angiography – a test that uses x-rays and dye to see inside blood vessels
Antiepileptic - a medicine used to prevent or treat a seizure
Cerebral Edema - swelling of the brain. This can be caused by lack of blood flow, stroke, tumors, or injury.
Cerebral Salt Wasting - when an injury to the brain causes the body to dump sodium (salt) in the urine. This lowers the amount of sodium in the blood.
CT (computed tomography) scan - an image of the body in cross-sections or slices. A patient is put into a rotating tube that takes continuous x-rays.
Delirium - a sudden and serious decrease in the ability to focus, remember, or think clearly. People with delirium may be confused or agitated.
Diabetes insipidus - a condition that causes too much urinating, resulting in a build-up of sodium (salt) in the blood. It is often caused by the lack of a hormone, called antidiruretic hormone.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) - a test that measures electrical activity and brain wave patterns in the brain. It can be used to diagnose and monitor seizures.
Embolization - a procedure to stop bleeding or block the flow of blood in a blood vessel.
Hydrocephalus - a condition of too much fluid in and around the brain. Fluid that doesn't drain can press on and injure the brain.
Hyperosmolar - this usually refers to a type of fluid given through the IV. The level of sodium in this fluid is higher than what is in the blood and body tissues. It is given to pull fluid from body tissues (like the brain, for example) by osmosis.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - a scan that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of organs and tissues inside the body. A patient lies on a table that slides into a large tube.
Sedation - the use of medicines to relax a patient, relieve pain, or cause the patient to forget what happens during a procedure.
SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone) - a condition in which the pituitary gland makes too much of a hormone called “antidiuretic hormone.” This can cause the body to hold onto water. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, tremors, mood changes, confusion, seizures, and coma.
Vasospasm - a contraction (spasm) of an artery that limits the flow of blood.
