[The compartment syndrome. Review]

The abdominal cavity has its own dimensions: the enlargement of one of the abdominal cavity (AC) organs results in the increase of pressure in intra-abdominal cavity (abdominal hypertension). The increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) causes the disturbance of organs' physiological functions, decompensation of gastrointestinal tract functions up to lethal outcome. The clinicians choose three rates of abdominal hypertension (AH): 1) mild form AH - when intra-abdominal pressure is within 10-20 mm Hg: AH due to adequate course of physiological functions has no particular clinical signs: sometimes the use of non-surgical treatment measures is required. 2) Mean severity AH: IAP is continuously within 21-35 mm Hg: the treatment except some cases is conservative. 3) Severe form AH: persistent IAP exceeds 35 mm Hg: in this case surgical decompression is required. Some diseases (obesity, ascites, heart failure etc.) result in chronic AH. IAP can be measured through a direct and indirect way. The best convenient methods of indirect IAP measurement include a monometer, which is connected to the catheter inserted into the urinary bladder. The abdominal decompression (AD) is used to eliminate the pathophysiological disorders taking place as a result of AH. However, today the abdominal hypertension syndrome as a pathophysiological process is widely extended in clinic. And it is impossible to achieve good treatment results not studying the mechanism of its appearance, concomitant pathological changes and the ways of its elimination.