Acute abdominal compartment syndrome in a severely burned patient: Lack of colloid fluid availability in acute resuscitation may play a role

Abstract

We report on a case in which a 27-year-old male patient sustained a significant burn injury requiring admission to the intensive care unit, with respiratory support and close haemodynamic monitoring. Owing to a lack of colloid resuscitation fluids, crystalloid fluids were used exclusively. The volume of fluid required to maintain an adequate urine output also resulted in fluid sequestration in other body compartments, eventually resulting in abdominal compartment syndrome. We believe this life-threatening complication could have been avoided had colloids been available