Intra-abdominal Hypertension and the Open Abdomen: Nursing Guidelines From the Abdominal Compartment Society

Barriers and facilitators in implementing intra-abdominal pressure measurement by nurses in paediatric intensive care units: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Intra-abdominal hypertension has been proven to be an independent risk factor for death in critically ill patients. Accurate monitoring of intra-abdominal pressure is of great significance for early identification and timely intervention of intra-abdominal hypertension to prevent further progression to abdominal compartment syndrome. Paediatric critical care nurses play an important role in constant observation and recognition of subtle and dynamic changes in intra-abdominal pressure of critically ill children.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to explore paediatric critical care nurses's views on the barriers and facilitators in clinical practice of intra-abdominal pressure measurement.

METHODS

A qualitative, open-ended, and exploratory study was conducted in the paediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in China. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nurses and nursing managers who were involved in the management of intra-abdominal pressure. The interview guide was developed using the Theoretical Domains Framework to explore the barriers and facilitators to intra-abdominal pressure measurement in the paediatric intensive care unit. Data analysis followed the framework approach, drawing on the Theoretical Domains Framework.

RESULTS

Fourteen participants (10 nurses and four nursing managers) were interviewed. We identified seven domains related to intra-abdominal pressure measurement mapping to six "barrier" domains and four "facilitator" domains. The six "barrier" domains were knowledge, social influences, behavioural regulation, beliefs about consequences, beliefs about capabilities, and environmental context and resources, and the four "facilitator" domains were social influences, beliefs about consequences, environmental context and resources, and social/professional role and identity.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings confirm the need for interventions to support paediatric critical care nurses in their intra-abdominal pressure measurement practices, with a particular focus on increasing knowledge, improving skills and measurement equipment, promoting nurse-physician interprofessional collaboration, providing a standardised measurement process, and establishing a supportive environment. Using the Theoretical Domains Framework will enhance the design of a targeted intervention, which should facilitate the standardised management of intra-abdominal pressure in the paediatric intensive care unit.

Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection in Patients with Open Abdomen with Fistula Undergoing the Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Utilizing Biological Mesh: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and identify risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) following abdominal wall reconstruction using biological mesh. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with open abdomen (OA) with fistula who underwent abdominal wall reconstruction with biological mesh at Jinling Hospital between January 2010 and August 2023. Patients were divided into SSI and non-SSI groups, and their perioperative data were compared to identify potential risk factors. Results: The SSI rate following abdominal wall reconstruction was 23.71% (23/97) in patients with OA with fistula. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the SSI and non-SSI groups in body mass index (BMI), BMI classification, nutritional risk index (NRI) classification, abdominal wall defect partition, pre-operative day one neutrophil count (NEUT), post-perative day one white blood cells (WBCs) and NEUT, post-operative day three WBCs and NEUT, post-operative day seven procalcitonin (PCT) and NEUT, length of hospitalization, and total hospitalization cost. Multifactorial analysis identified normal BMI (odds ratio [OR]: 0.151, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.041-0.551, p = 0.004) and high BMI (OR: 0.072, 95% CI: 0.010-0.546, p = 0.011) as protective factors against SSI and moderate NRI (OR: 4.054, 95% CI: 1.069-15.376, p = 0.004), severe NRI (OR: 18.233, 95% CI: 2.971-111.897, p = 0.002), and abdominal wall defect partition (OR: 4.032, 95% CI: 1.218-13.349, p = 0.022) as independent risk factors for SSI. Conclusions: Normal BMI and high BMI act as protective factors against SSI, whereas moderate NRI, severe NRI, and abdominal wall defect partition are independent risk factors for SSI. Nutritional management and surgical care should be emphasized to reduce SSI incidence in patients with OA with fistula undergoing abdominal wall reconstruction.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding intra-abdominal pressure monitoring among pediatric intensive care nurses: A cross-sectional study

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) and the training requirements of pediatric intensive care nurses regarding intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) monitoring, in order to provide a reference for the development of relevant training programs and operational procedures in clinical practice.

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 2023 to June 2023. A convenience sample was created by recruiting 212 pediatric intensive care nurses in eight hospitals in Zhejiang Province. A self-developed IAP monitoring KAP assessment tool was used for evaluation, which included knowledge (14 items), attitude (6 items), and practice (8 items), three dimensions, 28 items.

Results

The overall KAP score was 60.73 ± 8.35; the knowledge score was 7.84 ± 2.35, with a scoring rate of 56.0%; the attitude score was 25.16 ± 3.23, with a scoring rate of 83.9%; and the practice score was 28.44 ± 6.46, with a scoring rate of 69.3%. Nurses wh-o have received IAP monitoring training have higher KAP score, knowledge score and practice score than those who have not received it (P < 0.05). Nurses aged ≤ 30 showed better knowledge of IAP monitoring than those aged > 30 (P < 0.05). Among the participants, 55.7% of the nurses believed the current knowledge was insufficient to perform IAP measurement effectively. Difficulty in identifying the high-risk population of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) (64.6%), unfamiliarity with the operation process of IAP measurement (55.6%), and unreasonable nurse-patient ratio allocation (52.8%) were the main obstacles for nurses to monitor IAP.

Conclusions

Pediatric intensive care nurses have a positive attitude towards IAP monitoring, but the knowledge level and practical behavior still need to be strengthened. In particular, the knowledge of published consensus definitions, measurement techniques, and frequency for IAP monitoring is inadequate. It is necessary to implement tailored IAP monitoring training based on their training needs and potential obstacles to promote the standardization and scientificity of IAP monitoring.

The development, feasibility and credibility of intra-abdominal pressure measurement techniques: A scoping review

AIM

To provide a comprehensive overview on emerging direct and alternative methods for intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement techniques.

METHODS

This was a scoping review study following Arksey and Malley's framework. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, EBSCO, Scopus and ProQuest databases were searched, and we only considered studies published from 2000 as we have extended the data from two previous reviews. Original studies that reported on the development, feasibility and credibility of IAP measurement techniques were included.

RESULTS

Forty-two of 9954 screened articles were included. IAP measurement techniques include three major categories: direct, indirect and less invasive measurement techniques. Agreement analyses were performed in most studies, and some explored the safety, time expenditure and reproducibility of IAP measurement techniques.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical data assessing the validation of new IAP measurement techniques or the reliability of established measurement techniques remain lacking. Considering the cost and invasiveness, direct measurement is not recommended as a routine method for IAP measurement and should be preserved for critically ill patients where standard techniques are contraindicated or could be inaccurate. The measurement accuracy, reliability and sensitivity of the transrectal and transfemoral vein methods remain insufficient and cannot be recommended as surrogate IAP measures. Transvesical measurement is the most widely used method, which is the potentially most easy applicable technique and can be used as a reliable method for continuous and intermittent IAP measurement. Wireless transvaginal method facilitates the quantitative IAP measurement during exercise and activity, which laying the foundations for monitoring IAP outside of the clinic environment, but the accuracy of this technique in measuring absolute IAP cannot be determined at present. Less invasive technology will become a new trend to measure IAP and has substantial potential to replace traditional IAP measurement technologies, but further validation and standardization are still needed. Medical professionals should choose appropriate measurement tools based on the advantages and disadvantages of each IAP technique in combination with assessing specific clinical situations.