Non-invasive measurement of intra-abdominal pressure: a preliminary study

Abstract

The importance of measuring intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) has increased since the negative effects of sustained increased IAP, also known as intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH), have become known. The relation between IAP and abdominal wall tension has been included in several reports. We have developed a device to measure abdominal wall tension by measuring force and distance. This device enables us to investigate the correlation between the abdominal wall tension and IAP. The abdomens of two corpses (one female, one male) were insufflated with air. IAP was increased and measured at intervals by means of a laparoscopic set-up. Abdominal tension was measured at seven points on the abdominal wall at each interval. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between IAP and tension for each point measured. ANOVA was used to assess relations between measured tensions versus applied pressure, locations and subjects. In both corpses, all points showed significant (p < 0.001) correlations between IAP and abdominal wall tension. The points along the mid transverse plane appear to be more similar compared to more cranial and caudal points. We have assessed the feasibility of a device that non-invasively can track changes in IAP. Measurements performed with the device are preliminary results, and further investigation is needed.