CLINICAL AWARENESS OF INTRA-ABDOMINAL HYPERTENSION AND ABDOMINAL COMPARTMENT SYNDROME IN 2007

Abstract

Introduction: There has been an exponentially increasing interest in intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH). The aim of this review is to evaluate the evolution in clinical awareness of this syndrome.

Methods: A PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) search and a ScienceDirect (Elsevier B.V.) search of recent literature were performed in order to assess clinical awareness of IAH and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS).

Results: In total, 489 articles and 8 clinical surveys have been identified. The results of the landmark papers and the surveys will be briefly discussed in this review.

Conclusion: Clinical awareness of ACS is steadily increasing. It is time to pay attention to ACS, but further, it is time to move forward with therapeutic bundles in a multi-centered, outcome trial on IAH/ACS therapy in order to elevate IAH/ACS management to an international standard of care.

Keywords:

• standard of care
• intra-abdominal pressure
• intra-abdominal hypertension
• abdominal compartment syndrome
• evidence based medicine