The assessment of intra-abdominal pressure with the Polish prototype of intra-bladder pressure gauge -the own experience

Abstract The abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) results from an acute increase of intra-abdominal pressure and may lead to severe organ dysfunction. The authors described their own experience of measurement of intra-abdominal pressure as a prevention of ACS with use of intrabladder pressure (IBP) gauge of own conception and construction. The IBP was measured during operations and postoperative period of 100 patients by a Polish gauge constructed in Technical University of Łódź. Since December 2000 through November 2007 we measured IBP in 100 patients (85 newborns, 15 children from 1 to 3 years old) operated on because of: gastroschisis -52, omphalocele -24, congenital diaphragmatic hernia -9, abdominal wall hernia after primarily non-surgical treatment of giant omphalocele -15. In 13 patients who underwent staged repair postoperative IBP measurement decided of timing, frequency and extent of silo reductions and timing of final abdominal closure. We did not observe symptoms of abdominal compartment syndrome in our patients, there were no deaths as a result of complications due to high intra-abdominal pressure since the introduction of IBP measurement. Conclusions: 1) We recommend measurement of IBP as an objective, non-invasive and simple method to evaluate the intra-abdominal pressure and prevention of abdominal compartment syndrome. 2) Intra and postoperative measurement of IBP helps to avoid the compartment syndrome and its dire consequences