Is the way to man's heart (and lung) through the abdomen?

doi:10.1186/cc8136

Critical Care

Volume 13
Issue 6

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Is the way to man's heart (and lung) through the abdomen?

Robert L Owens¹ , R Scott Harris² and Atul Malhotra¹

¹Sleep Disorders Research Program, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA

²Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Bulfinch 148, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA

author email corresponding author email

Critical Care 2009, 13:199doi:10.1186/cc8136


Published:	6 November 2009

See related research by Krebs et al., http://ccforum.com/content/13/5/R160

Abstract

Intra-abdominal hypertension is increasingly recognized to be both prevalent and clinically important in medical and surgical intensive care units. Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) can impact organ function throughout the body, and it can also complicate standard measurements used in intensive care units. The article by Krebs and colleagues reports the effect of IAP on respiratory function, gas exchange and hemodynamic function. Their results show a relatively small effect of modestly elevated IAP on these variables in their patient population. However, their work raises several questions for clinicians and researchers regarding the pathophysiology and management of IAP.