Abdominal Compartment Syndrome
Abdominal Compartment Syndrome - Related Videos
13:32
Abdominal Exam IV: Acute Abdominal Pain Assessment
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2023
Source: Joseph Donroe, MD, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT Abdominal pain is a frequent presenting concern in both the emergency department and the office setting. Acute abdominal pain is defined as pain lasting less than seven days, while an acute abdomen refers to the abrupt onset of severe abdominal pain with features suggesting a surgically intervenable process. The differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain is broad; thus, clinicians must have a...
08:43
Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes
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Cited by 18 •
2016
This manuscript describes the setup, implementation, and analysis of boldness, aggression, and shoaling in zebrafish and testing for the presence of a behavioral syndrome. A standardized approach for behavioral quantification will allow for easier comparison across studies. Modifications to this protocol are possible as each assay can be run individually.
06:50
Abdominal Exam II: Percussion
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2023
Source: Alexander Goldfarb, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MA Medical percussion is based on the difference in pitch between the sounds elicited by tapping on the body wall. The auditory response to tapping depends on the ease with which the body wall vibrates, and is influenced by underlying organs, strength of the stroke, and the state of the body wall. There are three main medical percussion sounds: resonance (heard over lungs), tympany (heard over...
01:20
Compartment Models: Two-Compartment Model
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2025
The two-compartment model divides the body into central and peripheral compartments to account for varying blood perfusion rates among organs and tissues, affecting drug distribution. The central compartment includes blood and highly perfused tissues with rapid drug distribution, while the peripheral compartment contains tissues with slower drug distribution. After a single IV bolus dose, the drug concentration is high in plasma and low in tissues. The drug distribution between compartments...
01:14
Compartment Models: Single-Compartment Model
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2023
The single-compartment model serves as a simplified representation of the human body. This model assumes that the body functions as a single, well-mixed open compartment. When a drug is administered intravenously, it enters the body and quickly distributes uniformly. The drug then undergoes biotransformation and elimination, ultimately leaving the body. The volume of this compartment is referred to as the apparent volume of distribution into which the drug can uniformly distribute. In this...
FAQs
Elevated intra-abdominal pressure reduces venous return to the heart and limits diaphragmatic movement, which can compromise cardiovascular and respiratory function. It also reduces renal and splanchnic perfusion, affecting the kidneys and abdominal organs. As pressure persists, these combined effects can produce worsening respiratory, cardiovascular, and kidney failure rather than an isolated abdominal problem.
A high pressure measurement alone does not describe the full clinical severity. Abdominal Compartment Syndrome is identified when pressure exceeds 20 mmHg together with new organ dysfunction. This distinction connects the numerical measurement to its physiological consequences and helps clinicians recognize when increased pressure has become a critical systemic problem requiring prompt action.
Risk rises in settings that can increase abdominal contents or pressure, including trauma, hemorrhage, burns, major fluid resuscitation, and abdominal surgery. These circumstances commonly occur during severe illness or injury, so clinicians use the clinical context to identify patients who may need pressure assessment and close observation for emerging organ impairment.
The defining clinical difference is the presence of new organ dysfunction alongside pressure above 20 mmHg. A pressure elevation may signal risk, but the syndrome reflects pressure-related impairment of organs such as the kidneys, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, or splanchnic circulation. This distinction supports timely escalation when physiological deterioration appears.
Clinicians assess risk factors and measure intra-abdominal pressure through the bladder, while also looking for newly developing organ dysfunction. Bladder pressure provides an objective estimate of abdominal pressure, and the clinical examination supplies the functional context needed for interpretation. Together, these findings help identify patients who require urgent pressure-reduction measures.
Prompt measures to reduce abdominal pressure are required when the pressure threshold and new organ dysfunction are present. Decompression is specifically identified as an intervention that can lower pressure, while ongoing assessment guides recognition of physiological improvement or deterioration. Acting quickly matters because persistent pressure can progress to respiratory, cardiovascular, and kidney failure.
The syndrome is especially relevant in intensive care and emergency medicine because it can develop during severe illness, trauma, hemorrhage, burns, fluid resuscitation, or after abdominal surgery. These settings require rapid recognition of changing physiology. Measuring bladder pressure and responding to organ dysfunction can guide intervention and may improve clinical outcomes.