Comparison of Intra-Abdominal Pressure Measurements in Critically Ill Patients Using Intravesical Normal Saline at 15°C, 25°C, and 35°C

BACKGROUND: The incidence of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) in intensive care units is high. Dynamic monitoring of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is important to treat patients with these conditions. The World Society of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome revised IAP measurement and treatment guidelines in 2013. IAP is measured by instilling ≤25 mL of sterile saline into the bladder, but there is no requirement for the saline to be at a specific temperature. Many doctors presume that using cold saline will trigger bladder muscle spasms, resulting in measurement error. In the present study, we investigated the effect of body-temperature saline on IAP measurements. MATERIAL/METHODS: A single-center study was conducted in 12 patients with IAH over a 2-year period. IAP was measured via the bladder with instillation of sterile saline at temperatures of 35°C, 25°C, and 15°C. We analyzed the data using R software, version 4.1.0. Paired t tests were used for comparisons between groups. A Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed to compare groups. Analysis results were plotted using the R packages ggplot2, ggpubr, and BlandAltmanLeh. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in IAP measurement between the 15°C and 35°C groups (t=−2.55, P=0.027). There was no significant difference between the 25°C and 35°C groups (t=0.73, P=0.48). Bland-Altman analysis showed that IAP was consistent in the 25°C and 35°C groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although it is preferable to measure IAP with saline at body temperature (35°C), a temperature >25°C is associated with accurate results. Using saline at <15°C should be avoided.