COMPARTMENT PRESSURE MONITORING - CURRENT UK ORTHOPEDIC PRACTICE

Debate continues over the use of compartment pressure monitoring devic es in the diagnosis of compartment syndrome. We present the results of a survey that was designed to explore this issue. The majority of UK trauma amd orthopaedic surgeons surveyed advocate making the diagnosis of compartment syndrome by a combination of clinical acumen and compa rtment pressure measurements. LESS than half of the trauma centres sur veyed and pressure monitoring equipment available. There is marked var iation in opinion regarding the threshold level for surgery when monit oring is applied. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.