title: Measurement of compartment pressure of the rectus sheath during intra-abdominal hypertension in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the compartment pressure of the rectus sheath (CPRS) reflects the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) under various conditions of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective experimental study with in vivo pressure measurements at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, University of Saarland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stepwise increase and decrease in IAP with continuous measurement of the correspondent CPRS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physiological IAP (2 mmHg) and CPRS (6 mmHg) showed a statistically significant difference. Stepwise elevation in IAP was associated with a simultaneous increase in CPRS. Accordingly, stepwise decompression of IAP resulted in a stepwise decrease in CPRS. Under both conditions Bland-Altman analysis comparing IAP to correspondent CPRS showed a very good agreement for IAP at or above 12 mmHg. In addition, closure of the overlaying subcutaneous tissue and skin did not affect CPRS or its correlation with IAP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CPRS accurately reflects IAP for IAP of 12 mmHg or higher. Thus CPRS measurements may represent a novel approach for diagnosis and monitoring of IAH.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Division of Trauma Surgery, Department of Surgery, Raemistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland. christoph.meier@usz.ch
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.forename: Joerg H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Holstein
authors.forename: Burkhardt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Otmar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Trentz
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Menger
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000503:physiopathology*