Treatment of increasing intracranial pressure secondary to the acute abdominal compartment syndrome in a patient with combined abdominal and head trauma.

Acute abdominal compartment syndrome has recently been shown to raise intracranial pressure (ICP). This may increase the risk of ischemic neuronal damage by decreasing cerebral perfusion pressure. We report the successful management of a patient with severe multisystem injury in whom abdominal decompression dramatically reduced high ICP unresponsive to medical measures.