A method for rapid intracompartmental pressure measurement

A compartmental syndrome arises in situations where increased pressure within a limited space restricts the circulation by lowering the arteriovenous gradient and function of tissues within that space. Hypotension, hemorrhage, arterial occlusion, and limb elevation all appear to reduce the tolerance of limbs for increased tissue pressure. In early cases, patients with decreased levels of consciousness or when clinical evaluation is equivocal, pressure measurements become mandatory. Usually a single pressure measurement at the appropriate time will reveal the need for decompression, although in equivocal cases, a constant pressure measurement becomes necessary. The Wick catheter method has been widely used for this type of measurement, but we have developed a simpler system which is described in this article.