A comparison of infusion volumes in the measurement of intra-abdominal pressure.

Bladder pressure measurement through a foley catheter is the current standard in monitoring for intraabdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Accurate pressure transduction requires a continuous fluid column with a small volume of transducing medium at the tip of the catheter. Infusing excessive fluid volume can falsely elevate the measured intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) due to bladder overdistention and can lead to intrinsic muscular contraction.

Reproducibility of bladder pressure measurements in critically ill patients.

Objective: Intra-abdominal hypertension is an independent cause of multiorgan failure and directly effects other physiological measurements, making it an important factor in the management of critically ill patients, but no clinical studies have investigated the reproducibility of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement to ensure diagnostic accuracy. This study evaluated the intraobserver and interobserver variability of bladder pressure measurements.

Design And Setting: Prospective, observational study in a university-based adult surgical intensive care unit.

Survey of intensive care physicians on the recognition and management of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome.

Objective: To assess current understanding and clinical management of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome among critical care physicians.

Design: A ten-question, written survey.

Setting: University health sciences center.