Continuous intra-abdominal pressure monitoring

Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) can develop within 12 hours of ICU admission in high-risk patients. Until recently the intermittent intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement via the urinary catheter was the clinical standard. This is a relatively labour intensive technique and its intermittent nature could prevent timely recognition of significant changes in IAP. The historical continuous IAP (CIAP) measurements were poorly reproducible (gastric route) or invasive/impractical (direct measurement). The aim of this paper is to review the current evidence on CIAP monitoring.

A broad Medline search of the English literature was performed using the terms of "intra abdominal pressure" and "continuous". This result was analysed based on the title and abstract. Only original clinical studies with continuous IAP measurement were considered in this review. New techniques of CIAP monitoring evaluated in large animal models are discussed as potential future directions.

There is a growing evidence of measuring (monitoring) CIAP using several techniques (gastric, direct abdominal, inferior vena cava, and urinary bladder. The strongest evidence supports the direct abdominal, the gastric and the bladder route. From these three techniques the CIAP monitoring via the bladder has excellent agreement with the current standard of intermittent bladder pressure measurement. While the direct measurement could be very accurate it is an invasive method and feasible in patient who underwent laparotomy or laparoscopy.

Until a better technique is available the CIAP monitoring via the bladder or stomach should be considered as the standard for continuous monitoring of the IAP. It is a less labour intensive, safe, less invasive and reliable method.