Which of the following is a listed cause of increased intracranial pressure?

• A. Bleed
• B. Dizziness
• C. Fever
• D. Infection

Answer: (A)

Intracranial pressure rises when there’s more volume inside the skull than can be accommodated. The skull is a fixed container, so brain tissue, CSF, and blood volumes must stay in balance. A bleed directly adds blood volume inside the skull, creating a mass effect and increasing pressure, especially once the brain’s compensatory mechanisms are exhausted. That’s why a bleed is a listed cause of increased ICP. Dizziness isn’t a mechanism that increases intracranial contents, fever is a sign of infection rather than a direct volume increase, and while infection can lead to edema and raised ICP in some situations, the direct, immediate cause among the options is the bleed.