title: Abdominal hypertension and liver dysfunction in intensive care unit patients: an "on-off" phenomenon?
abstract: Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) can affect liver hemodynamics but it is not known if has a significant clinical impact on liver function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between IAH and liver function. A prospective study was performed in 110 adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was measured on admission and every other day, and liver sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was collected whenever IAP was measured. IAH was defined by a IAP >or= 10 mm Hg, and liver dysfunction was defined by a hepatic SOFA score >or= 2. An overall IAH incidence of 56.3% was found (n = 62). Thirty-three patients presented a liver SOFA score >or= 2, with an overall incidence of 30%. Liver SOFA score of the group of patients with abdominal hypertension was higher than in group of patients without abdominal hypertension. (0.8 +/- 1.05 vs 0.4 +/- 0.7; P < .05), but IAH and liver dysfunction were not significantly associated (chi2 = 2.03; P = .15). When the whole sample was divided according to the worst IAP score (IAP < 10, IAP between 10 and 15, and IAP > 15), the corresponding liver dysfunction scores in the three groups were 0.35 +/- 0.6, 0.74 +/- 1, and 1.2 +/- 1.3, respectively (P = .01). A strict association between IAH and liver dysfunction was not found. Most likely, low levels of IAH, although able to reduce liver blood flow, are not per se sufficient to produce a real dysfunction; however, a correlation between the degree of IAH and the degree of hyperbilirubinemia exists. IAH does not seem to be an "on-off" phenomenon, but produces liver alterations for increasing levels of its severity.
authors.affiliation: Emergency and Organ Transplantation Department, Anesthesia and Intensive Care Division, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. nbrienza@rianima.uiba.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dalfino
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malcangi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cinnella
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brienza
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000005:Abdomen / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*