ABSTRACT
Today more patients survive the initial phase of high-energy multitrauma that once was fatal. Therefore, patients with multifactorial organ dysfunction, including patients with abnormally elevated intraperitoneal hydrostatic pressure, are more likely seen. Abnormally elevated intraabdominal pressure may cause acute abdominal compartment syndrome. Diagnosis and treatment of the syndrome are difficult because patients have multiple injuries and present a complex clinical picture. The elevated intraabdominal pressure induces respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, and visceral dysfunction. It even affects the central nervous system in humans.
