Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Children
09:45

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Children

Published on: April 29, 2013

Compartmental syndromes in children

F A Matsen, R G Veith

    Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics
    |January 1, 1981
    PubMed

    Insights

    Prompt diagnosis and surgical decompression of pediatric compartmental syndromes, often caused by fractures or surgery, are crucial. Early intervention significantly improves outcomes and minimizes long-term complications in affected children.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Orthopedics
    • Trauma Surgery
    • Vascular Surgery

    Background:

    • Compartmental syndromes involve increased tissue pressure, compromising perfusion and neuromuscular function.
    • These syndromes affect various anatomical regions, including the hand, forearm, and leg.
    • Common causes in children include fractures, vascular injuries, and osteotomies.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze the incidence and characteristics of compartmental syndromes in pediatric patients.
    • To evaluate diagnostic methods, including clinical assessment and tissue pressure measurement.
    • To determine the impact of delayed diagnosis and treatment on patient outcomes.

    Main Methods:

    • Retrospective review of 24 pediatric cases with compartmental syndromes.
    • Analysis of clinical data, etiologies, affected compartments, and diagnostic approaches.
    • Correlation of treatment timing with functional outcomes.

    Main Results:

    • Compartmental syndromes were identified in 24 children following injury or surgery.
    • Fracture, vascular injury, and tibial osteotomy were leading causes.
    • Tissue pressure measurement proved valuable in ambiguous cases, especially in young children or those with neurological/vascular deficits.
    • Duration of the syndrome before decompression was the primary factor influencing the final outcome.

    Conclusions:

    • Prompt diagnosis and surgical decompression are essential for minimizing sequelae of pediatric compartmental syndromes.
    • Clinical evaluation is often sufficient, but pressure monitoring aids diagnosis in complex cases.
    • Timely surgical intervention is critical for achieving optimal functional recovery in affected children.

    More Related Videos

    A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy10:02

    A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy

    Published on: November 3, 2016

    Abdominal Massage to Improve Motor Dysfunction in Rats with Cerebral Palsy08:24

    Abdominal Massage to Improve Motor Dysfunction in Rats with Cerebral Palsy

    Published on: August 11, 2023

    Related Concept Videos

    Compartment Models: Two-Compartment Model01:20

    Compartment Models: Two-Compartment Model

    The two-compartment model divides the body into central and peripheral compartments to account for varying blood perfusion rates among organs and tissues, affecting drug distribution. The central compartment includes blood and highly perfused tissues with rapid drug distribution, while the peripheral compartment contains tissues with slower drug distribution. After a single IV bolus dose, the drug concentration is high in plasma and low in tissues. The drug distribution between compartments...
    Model Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Compartment Models01:14

    Model Approaches for Pharmacokinetic Data: Compartment Models

    Compartmental analysis is a widely adopted approach to characterizing drug pharmacokinetics. It uses compartment models that conceptualize the body as a collection of reversibly communicating compartments, each representing a group of tissues exhibiting similar drug distribution characteristics. The movement rate of the drug between these compartments is typically described by first-order kinetics.
    Two primary types of compartment models are recognized: mammillary and catenary. The more...
    Mechanistic Models: Overview of Compartment Models01:21

    Mechanistic Models: Overview of Compartment Models

    Mechanistic models, a category encompassing both physiological and compartmental modeling, differ from empirical models' approaches to incorporating known factors about the systems being modeled. Empirical models describe data with minimal assumptions, while mechanistic models aim to provide a robust description of available data by specifying assumptions and integrating known factors about the system. Compartmental analysis is a key example of a mechanistic model in pharmacokinetics and...
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

    Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

    Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

    Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

    In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...