Compartment Syndrome

Compartment Syndrome

Jessica Mason, MD, and Jennifer Farah, MD

Background

• Tight compartments with pain out of proportion? → check pressure
• High-risk injuries
• Fractures (tibia/fibula)
• Crush injuries
• Burns

Clinical Findings

• The 5 Ps
• Pain out of proportion (happens earliest, the rest are late findings)
• Paresthesia
• Pallor
• Paresis
• Pulse deficit

Management

• When is compartment pressure high?
• Delta pressure = diastolic BP − compartment pressure
• Abnormal if <30 mm Hg
• Absolute pressure >30 mm Hg
• If high, fasciotomy

See EM:RAP HD 2017 May - Measuring Compartment Pressure