Introduction: We describe the correct technique for measuring compartment pressure with a handheld device to diagnose compartment syndrome.
Step 1 device preparation: Proper preparation of the handheld pressure monitoring device (Stryker Surgical, Kalamazoo, Michigan) is critical to ensure that the device performs appropriately.
Step 2 identification of the compartment of interest: The needle must be placed in the proper location to appropriately measure a compartment's pressure.
Step 3 injection: Inject saline solution from the pressure monitoring device to clear any soft tissue from the side port on the needle that could result in inaccurate pressure measurements.
Step 4 stabilization and pressure reading: The pressure must reach a stable state before it is recorded; different pressure thresholds for decompression have been recommended in the literature.
Step 5 repeat measurements: As mistakes can be made with any single measurement, accuracy may be improved by repeating steps 1 through 4 and averaging the results.
Step 6 additional compartments: After the reading is obtained, move on to any additional compartment(s) that need to be evaluated, repeating the steps listed above.
Results: The handheld intracompartmental monitoring device with a side-ported needle has been shown to be extremely accurate in the laboratory.IndicationsContraindicationsPitfalls & Challenges.