Sunday December 17, 2006

Abdominal Perfusion Pressure


Intra-abdominal compartment syndrome is an under-diagnosed entity particularly in medical ICUs (in comparison to surgical or trauma ICUs) but with massive fluid resuscitation as part of critical care management, intensivists need to be constantly cautious of this complication.

Intra-abdominal Hypertension: is defined as sustained or repeated bladder pressure more than/= 12 cm H2O

Abdominal compartment syndrome: is defined as sustained or repeated pressure more than/= 20 cm H2O.Bladder pressure is not the accurate method of diagnosing IAH. Dr. Cheatham has proposed APP (Abdominal Perfusion Pressure) as better indicator with formula taken from another compatment syndome - cerebral perfusion pressure, (CPP= MAP-ICP)

APP = MAP- IAP

where MAP is mean arterial pressure and IAP is intra-abdominal pressure.

Intra-abdominal Hypertension is defined as sustained or repeated APP less than or = 60


Related web site: The World Society of the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome


Reference : Click to get article/abstract

1. Abdominal Perfusion Pressure: A Superior Parameter in the Assessment of Intra-abdominal Hypertension Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care. 49(4):621-627, October 2000.