The Correlation of Intracompartmental Pressure Values With Clinical Signs and Symptoms, Studied in Post Traumatic Subjects Using A Wick Catheter

Intracomparemental pressure were measured by the wick catheter technique in 32 compartments of 32 post traumatic patients who were clinically suspected of having acute compartment syndromes. A pressure of zero millimeters of mercury was used as an indication for normal compartment enough for being excluded in any subject.

Signs and symptoms were examined in subjects based on clinical definitions before measuring intracompartmental pressures. Paresthesia, tensness, pain in passive extension, pain in active extension, paralysis, pulselessness, capillary filling and pallor of each subject were marked to be used for comparison with the value of intraucompartmental pressure.

Pain were present in all subjects as the most earliest sign while the skin pallor appeared to be the latest one.The lowest values of pressure were seen together with pain and paresthesia even below the 10 mmHg among the subjects. In our cases when ever the pressure values of the affected compartment increased. The number of present signs and symptoms also increased. ‍‍

Positive regression of the mentioned correlation (r=0.69) implies that the value of intracompartmental pressure could be indicative of the more complications associated with more sign and symptoms. Since different signs and symptoms were present in our subjects even with the same value of pressure. The diagnosis and apporching to compartment syndromes may looks confusing so measuring intraucompartmental pressure by a wick cartheter seems to be the cheep. Available technique in diagnosis and management of the cases.