Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

This chapter presents a systematic review of the medical literature to provide timely, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ACS. Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) has evolved conceptually from a postoperative concern of trauma surgeons to a potential preventable cause of multiple organ dysfunctions for all critically ill patients. Since the first description of ACS by Kron et al. in 1984, increasing awareness of research regarding ACS has resulted in a need for consensus definitions and clinical management guidelines. intraabdominal hypertension and ACS do occur with some frequency in the intensive care unit and are associated with organ dysfunction and mortality. Through varying types of studies, many risk factors for intracranial hypertension/ACS have been identified. In a prospective study of blunt torso trauma, hypothermia, anemia, oliguria, base deficit, large volume of crystalloid resuscitation, and high arterial-mucosal CO₂ gap by gastric tonometry were found to be predictors of ACS development.