title: To close or not to close? Treatment of abdominal compartment syndrome by neuromuscular blockade without laparostomy.
abstract: Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is a recognised postoperative complication seen frequently in the intensive care unit (ICU). Surgical decompression and laparostomy remain the gold standard treatment for established ACS, combined with supportive non-surgical therapy, such as nasogastric decompression. In the following case report, we describe our successful management of a patient with established postoperative ACS by re-laparotomy to exclude a reversible cause, immediate re-closure of the abdomen and prolonged neuromuscular blockade, avoiding a laparostomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, York District Hospital, Hull/York Medical School, York, UK. mrjohn.davies@virgin.net
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aghahoseini
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D000368:Aged; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019148:Neuromuscular Blockade / Q000379:methods*
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