Introduction:

the abdominal compartment syndrome is a systemic clinical entity triggered by an increase of the intra abdominal pressure, clinically characterized by abdominal distension and the alteration of the renal, neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory functions.

Objective:

to characterize the behavior of the abdominal compartment syndrome in critical patients from the intensive care unit of the provincial hospital “Jose Ramon Lopez Tabrane”.

Materials and methods:

a longitudinal, descriptive and prospective study was carried out in a universe of adult patients with risk factors known as abdominal compartment syndrome, treated in the period of time from January 2014 to December 2015. Their transvesical intraabdominal pressure was systematically measured and they underwent surgical decompression in cases of intraabdominal hypertension grades iii and iv.

Results:

the values of intraabdominal pressure steadily increased are directly proportional to the development of the abdominal compartment syndrome and entails dysfunctions in the different systems of organs; in these cases complications were found, that were combined for all patients and mainly in the group with intraabdominal pressure grade iv. Mortality was present in a certainly increased group, and was related to the levels of intraabdominal pressure, and also to the possibility these patients undergoing surgical treatments again.

Conclusions:

it should be standardized the periodical measure of the intraabdominal pressure in any patient suspected of developing an abdominal compartment syndrome.

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