Utility of measurements of abdominal perfusion pressure as a measure of isovolemic status and intestinal perfusion in patients with ruptured aortic aneurysm.

UNLABELLED Ruptured abdominal aorta aneurysm of ten results in intraabdominal hypertension (IAH). When IAH exceeds 20 mm Hg, intestinal ischemia can result that is a common cause of severe postoperative complications, including death. THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to evaluate utility of measurement of abdominal perfusion pressure (APP) to estimate intestinal perfusion and isovolemic status in patients undergoing surgical treatment for ruptured abdominal aorta aneurysm. MATERIAL AND METHODS A group of 40 patients of either sex, aged 47-93 years (average age 70 ± 10) was treated at an Intensive Care Unit after surgical reconstruction of abdominal aorta due to ruptured aortic aneurysm. The study was prospective. The following were measured: parameters of intraabdominal pressure (intraabdominal pressure - IAP, abdominal perfusion pressure - APP); parameters of intestinal perfusion - tonometric (intramucosal gastric carbon dioxide partial pressure PgCO(2), intramucosal-arterial difference in carbon dioxide partial pressure - Pg-aCO(2)); hemodynamic parameters (mean arterial pressure - MAP, central venous pressure - CVP). RESULTS A statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between parameters of visceral perfusion and abdominal perfusion pressure. Pearson correlation coefficient for APP/PgCO(2) and APP/Pg-aCO(2) was negative and was -0.4664 and -0.3498, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Abdominal perfusion pressure is an useful parameter in the evaluation of intestinal perfusion in IAH patients after surgical treatment of ruptured aortic aneurysm. MAP reflects current physiological body reserves at a critical stage of the disease, informing about possibility to provide visceral perfusion and indirectly, about adequacy of fluid replacement therapy. In intraabdominal hypertension, CVP is falsely elevated, making it of low utility in the evaluation of volemic status and intestinal perfusion.