Cushing's Triad is a clinical indicator of increased ICP and includes which of the following components?

• A. Increased BP, Irregular Breathing, Decreased HR
• B. Decreased BP, Regular Breathing, Increased HR
• C. Hypotension, Bradypnea, Hypothermia
• D. Fever, Tachycardia, Hypertension

Answer: (A)

Cushing's Triad is a sign that intracranial pressure is rising. It is defined by three changes: a rise in systolic blood pressure (often with a widened pulse pressure), a slowing heart rate (bradycardia), and irregular or abnormal breathing patterns. The body’s response to increased ICP involves sympathetic activation to push blood pressure up in an attempt to maintain cerebral perfusion, while the brainstem is becoming squeezed, which slows the heart and disrupts normal breathing. So the combination of increased BP, decreased HR, and irregular breathing best fits this triad. The other patterns—lower blood pressure with regular breathing and increased heart rate, or fever with tachycardia—do not match the characteristic response seen with rising ICP.