IAH decreases venous return, creating a vicious cycle of more intestinal swelling and greater increase in IAP. Burns can lead to ACS by several mechanisms. Circumferential burns of the abdominal area with abdominal wall edema and eschar formation can cause extrinsic compression of the abdomen.

Duration of ICU and hospital stay, need for ventilator support, initiation of enteral feeding, serum lactate level at time of admission and after 48 h, and 30-day mortality were noted as outcomes. In our study, an overall incidence of IAH was 60%.

IAH is a graded phenomenon or continuum of process which when not recognized leads to ACS. It is extremely important to recognize this entity in critically ill patients because of the impact of elevated intra-abdominal pressure on end organ function. Overall IAH and ACS are widely under-recognized in medical ICU.

The pathophysiology of IAH and ACS is not completely understood, but a cascade is set in motion leading to a vicious cycle of deterioration and multi-organ failure. 17 Elevated IAP leads to compression of the vena cava causing reduced venous return to the heart. This decrease in preload leads to reduced cardiac output resulting in reduced blood ...

Fluid resuscitation contributes to the development of IAH. However, patients with IAH receive more fluids to manage the effect of IAH on other organ systems, thereby causing a vicious cycle. Timing and approach to de-resuscitation are of utmost importance, but clear indicators to guide this decision-making process are lacking.