What is intra-abdominal pressure (IAP)?
IAP is the pressure within the abdomen. This pressure is normally very low, but can be increased during illness and injury due to swelling or internal bleeding. IAP may be measured in a variety of ways, but is most commonly measured using the catheter that is already present in the patient’s bladder to collect urine. As a result, IAP is commonly referred to as the “bladder pressure”. • What is Intra-Abdominal Hypertension (IAH)? IAH is an increase in the normal pressure within the abdomen that can cause a patient’s heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and intestines to become sick and not function properly. • What is Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (ACS) ACS is a severe increase in the pressure within the abdomen (“intra-abdominal pressure” or IAP) such that a patient’s internal organs begin to fail and malfunction. This is a medical emergency. Untreated, ACS has a high mortality rate. There are a number of different methods that your doctors may use to treat the ACS. These may include giving
