Compartment syndromes

Body compartments bound by fascia and limited by bony backgrounds are found in the extremities, buttocks, abdomen and thoracic cavity; conditions that cause intracompartmental swelling and hypertension can lead to ischemia and limb loss. Although compartment syndromes are described in all body regions from head to toe, the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are best characterized for three key body regions: the first is extremity, the second is abdominal, and the third is thoracic compartment syndromes. Thoracic compartment syndrome usually occurs as a result of pathological accumulation of air, fluid or blood in the mediastinum and has traditionally been described in trauma. As the intracranial contents are confined within a rigid bony cage, any increase in volume within this compartment as a result of brain oedema or an expanding traumatic intracranial haematoma, leads to a reciprocal decrease in the volume of cerebrospinal fluid and intracranial venous blood volume. Limb compartment syndromes may present either in acute or chronic clinical forms. Intra-abdominal pressure can be measured by direct or indirect methods. While the direct methods are quite accurate, they are impractical and not feasible for routine practice. Indirect measurement is done through inferior vena cava, gastric, rectal and urinary bladder. Indirect measurement through urinary bladder is the simplest and is considered the method of choice for intra-abdominal pressure measurement. The management of patients with intra-abdominal hypertension is based on four important principles: the first is related to the specific procedures aiming at lowering intra-abdominal pressure and the consequences of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome; the second is for general support and medical management of the critically ill patient; while the third is surgical decompression and the fourth is optimization after surgical decompression.