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Applied Physiology in Intensive Care Medicine 2 pp 13–27Cite as

Different techniques to measure intra-abdominal pressure (IAP): time for a critical re-appraisal

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Abstract

The diagnosis of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) or abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is heavily dependant on the reproducibility of the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement technique. Recent studies have shown that a clinical estimation of IAP by abdominal girth or by examiner’s feel of the tenseness of the abdomen is far from accurate, with a sensitivity of around 40%. Consequently, the IAP needs to be measured with a more accurate, reproducible and reliable tool. The role of the intra-vesical pressure (IVP) as the gold standard for IAP has become a matter of debate. This review will focus on the previously described indirect IAP measurement techniques and will suggest new revised methods of IVP measurement less prone to error. Cost-effective manometry screening techniques will be discussed, as well as some options for the future with microchip transducers.

Keywords

  • Intra-abdominal pressure
  • Intra-abdominal hypertension
  • Abdominal compartment syndrome
  • Intra-vesical pressure

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical intensive care Unit, ACZA campus stuivenberg, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Manu L. N. G. Malbrain

  2. Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Ziekenhuis Netwerk Antwerpen (ZNA), Stuivenberg, Antwerp, Belgium

    Manu L. N. G. Malbrain

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  1. Manu L. N. G. Malbrain
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Scaife Hall 606 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Michael R. Pinsky MD

  2. Dept. Intensive Care Medicine, Hôpital Henri Mondor, 51 av. Maréchal Lattre de Tassigny, 94010, Créteil, CX, France

    Laurent Brochard MD

  3. Dept. Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital de Sant Pau, Avda. S. Antonio M. Claret 167, 08025, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Mancebo MD

  4. General Intensive Care Unit, Università Cattolica des Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy

    Massimo Antonelli

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Malbrain, M.L.N.G. (2012). Different techniques to measure intra-abdominal pressure (IAP): time for a critical re-appraisal. In: Pinsky, M.R., Brochard, L., Mancebo, J., Antonelli, M. (eds) Applied Physiology in Intensive Care Medicine 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28233-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28233-1_2

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