Intra-abdominal pressure monitoring in postoperative period in patients with diffuse peritonitis

Epidemiology, etiology, pathologic and morphologic changes associated with increased intra-abdominal pressure are described. The most common ways of its measuring and monitoring are presented. Intra-abdominal pressure is increased by more than 15 mm Hg in patients with diffuse peritonitis. Increased intra-abdominal pressure is associated with the disease severity: the higher the intra-abdominal pressure, the more severe is the disease. If intra-abdominal pressure is increased over 20 mm Hg, treatment strategy depends on the signs of organ failure. In the absence of organ failure, intra-abdominal pressure should be monitored every 4 hours as long as the patient is in critical condition. Intra-abdominal pressure monitoring in case of peritonitis must be attributed to the mandatory manipulation, as pressure changes precede the clinical manifestations of intra-abdominal complications. Measurement of intra-abdominal pressure allows to detect the early signs of multiple organ failure, which is essential for the correction of systemic complications in pancreatogenic peritonitis. In this case, monitoring of intra-abdominal pressure in diffuse postoperative peritonitis should be considered only as a screening test for assessing of the organ dysfunction severity, as the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome involves complex pathophysiological mechanisms. Predictions that are more accurate can be made using such integrated indicators as APACHE II (Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation scale, which is used for assessing various acute and chronic diseases), SAPS (Simplified Acute Physiology Score - a simplified scale for acute functional changes assessment), SOFA (Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessments Score - scale for dynamic assessment of organ failure in sepsis), MPI (Mannheim Peritonitis Index) scales.