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During the current pandemic of COVID-19, a myriad of manifestations and complications has emerged and are being reported on. We are discovering patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of acute cardiac injury, arrythmias, thromboembolic complications (pulmonary embolism and acute stroke), and secondary infection to name a few. I describe a novel case of COVID-19 in a previously healthy 33-year-old female who presented for altered mental status and proptosis. She was ultimately diagnosed with mucormycosis and orbital compartment syndrome, in addition to COVID-19. Early identification of these high morbidity conditions is key to allow for optimal treatment and improved outcomes.

Primary disasters may result in mass casualty events with serious injuries, including crush injury and crush syndrome. This narrative review provides a focused overview of crush injury and crush syndrome for emergency clinicians. Millions of people worldwide annually face natural or human-made disasters, which may lead to mass casualty events and severe medical issues including crush injury and syndrome. Crush injury is due to direct physical trauma and compression of the human body, most commonly involving the lower extremities. It may result in asphyxia, severe orthopedic injury, compartment syndrome, hypotension, and organ injury (including acute kidney injury). Crush syndrome is the systemic manifestation of severe, traumatic muscle injury. Emergency clinicians are at the forefront of the evaluation and treatment of these patients. Care at the incident scene is essential and focuses on treating life-threatening injuries, extrication, triage, fluid resuscitation, and transport. Care at the healthcare facility includes initial stabilization and trauma evaluation as well as treatment of any complication (e.g., compartment syndrome, hyperkalemia, rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury). Crush injury and crush syndrome are common in natural and human-made disasters. Emergency clinicians must understand the pathophysiology, evaluation, and management of these conditions to optimize patient care.

This article is one of ten reviews selected from the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2020. Other selected articles can be found online at https://www.biomedcentral.com/collections/annualupdate2020 . Further information about the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine is available from http://www.springer.com/series/8901 .

Background Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a critical condition resulting from increased intra-compartmental pressure, causing tissue ischemia and necrosis. ACS following cardiovascular surgery is rare but catastrophic. Postoperative sedation and analgesia often obscure classic symptoms, delaying diagnosis. This underscores the importance of vigilance and early detection, particularly in high-risk scenarios such as prolonged extracorporeal circulation and femoral artery cannulation. Enhanced monitoring, including tissue oxygen saturation and transcutaneous oxygen pressure, may facilitate timely diagnosis. Case summary We report a 56-year-old male who developed ACS after valve replacement surgery involving femoral artery cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass. Approximately 12 h postoperatively, the patient exhibited severe lower limb swelling, mottling, and diminished dorsalis pedis pulse. Laboratory findings revealed elevated myoglobin and creatine kinase levels. Diagnosis was confirmed via clinical and ultrasound evaluation, prompting emergent fasciotomy. Postoperative management included wound care, renal replacement therapy, and skin flap reconstruction. At 6 months follow-up, the patient achieved complete functional recovery of the affected limb. Conclusion ACS is a rare but severe complication of cardiovascular surgery. This case highlights the necessity for heightened vigilance, early recognition, and timely intervention to mitigate adverse outcomes. Further studies are needed to validate and establish standardized monitoring protocols and management strategies, including early use of distal perfusion techniques, to improve surgical safety and patient outcomes.

A compartment syndrome is defined as an increase in the compartmental pressure to such an extent that the viability of the tissues and organs within the compartment are threatened. The term describes a syndrome and not a disease, and as such there are many diseases and underlying pathophysiological processes that may lead to such a scenario. The aim of this review is to give a state-of-the-art overview on the current knowledge on different compartment syndromes and how they may interact. Suggested definitions are included. There are four major compartments in the human body: the head, chest, abdomen, and the extremities. Initially, the term multicompartment syndrome was suggested when more than one compartment was affected. But this led to confusion as the term multi- or multiple compartment syndromes is mostly used in relation to multiple limb trauma leading to compartment syndrome requiring fasciotomy. Only recently was the term 'polycompartment syndrome' coined to describe a condition where two or more anatomical compartments have elevated pressures. When more than one compartment is affected, an exponential detrimental effect on end-organ function to both immediate and distant organs can occur. Within each compartment, the disease leading towards a compartment syndrome can be primary or secondary. The compliance of each compartment is the key to determining the transmission of a given compartmental pressure from one compartment to another. The intra-abdominal pressure helps to explain the severe pathophysiological condition occurring in patients with cardiorenal, hepatopulmonary and hepatorenal syndromes. Initial treatment of a compartment syndrome should be focused on the primary compartment and is based on three principles: lowering of compartmental pressure, supporting organ perfusion, and optimisation and prevention of specific adverse events. Clinicians need to be aware of the existence of the polycompartment syndrome and the interactions of increased compartmental pressures between compartments.

Viper bites are medical emergencies that can develop into serious clinical complications and can endanger the life of the paediatric patient. This observational retrospective study analyses 24 cases of viper bites involving paediatric patients (<18 years) encountered over 10 years (2016–2025) in the emergency department of Saint Mary Emergency Hospital of Iasi, Romania, with a focus on those requiring specialised surgical monitoring. Sociodemographic factors, toxicity, and surgical management of snakebites were analysed. In 83.33% cases, viper bites were found on the lower limb. The retrospective study was completed through an in-depth analysis of two representative cases, with a particular focus on the evolution up to compartment syndrome. Of the 24 cases presented in the Emergency Department, one was a rare and severe case, which evolved into compartment syndrome and required fasciotomy to save the limb in the Plastic Surgical Department. Another one, with the bite localised at the upper limb, had perilesional oedema, without skin colour changes or secretions, preservation of joint contours, and normal nail colouration. Both were analysed and described in detail with all available data (images, investigations, etc.) to highlight pathophysiological and therapeutic aspects. Appropriate, multidisciplinary treatment considerably improves the functional prognosis of patients with viper bites; administration of antivenom and selective fasciotomy contribute to successful outcomes. The study emphasises that viper bites in children remain a public health problem in Romania and require prompt and multidisciplinary treatment.

Background Constantly elevated intra-abdominal pressure (IAH) can lead to abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS), which is associated with organ dysfunction and even multiorgan failure. Our 2010 survey revealed an inconsistent acceptance of definitions and guidelines among pediatric intensivists regarding the diagnosis and treatment of IAH and ACS in Germany. This is the first survey to assess the impact of the updated guidelines on neonatal/pediatric intensive care units (NICU/PICU) in German-speaking countries after WSACS published those in 2013. Methods We conducted a follow-up survey and sent 473 questionnaires to all 328 German-speaking pediatric hospitals. We compared our findings regarding awareness, diagnostics and therapy of IAH and ACS with the results of our 2010 survey. Results The response rate was 48% ( n  = 156). The majority of respondents was from Germany (86%) and working in PICUs with mostly neonatal patients (53%). The number of participants who stated that IAH and ACS play a role in their clinical practice rose from 44% in 2010 to 56% in 2016. Similar to the 2010 investigations, only a few neonatal/pediatric intensivists knew the correct WSACS definition of an IAH (4% vs 6%). Different from the previous study, the number of participants who correctly defined an ACS increased from 18 to 58% ( p  < 0,001). The number of respondents measuring intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) increased from 20 to 43% ( p  < 0,001). Decompressive laparotomies (DLs) were performed more frequently than in 2010 (36% vs. 19%, p  < 0,001), and the reported survival rate was higher when a DL was used (85% ± 17% vs. 40 ± 34%). Conclusions Our follow-up survey of neonatal/pediatric intensivists showed an improvement in the awareness and knowledge of valid definitions of ACS. Moreover, there has been an increase in the number of physicians measuring IAP in patients. However, a significant number has still never diagnosed IAH/ACS, and more than half of the respondents have never measured IAP. This reinforces the suspicion that IAH and ACS are only slowly coming into the focus of neonatal/pediatric intensivists in German-speaking pediatric hospitals. The goal should be to raise awareness of IAH and ACS through education and training and to establish diagnostic algorithms, especially for pediatric patients. The increased survival rate after conducting a prompt DL consolidates the impression that the probability of survival can be increased by timely surgical decompression in the case of full-blown ACS.

Correspondence to Dr Nicolas Suarez, Nuffield Department of Anaesthesia, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; nick.suarez@ouh.nhs.uk To the editor We read with interest the recent educational article by Dwyer et al 1 regarding the use of regional anesthesia (RA) in those with acute compartment syndrome (ACS). Furthermore, Two relate to the same case.2 3 Two relate to the use of epidural anesthesia.4 5 One relates to the use of an epidural, but the authors state that the patient experienced ‘severe leg pain’ and comment that ‘continuous epidural anesthesia…did not appear to mask the clinical symptoms of his compartment syndrome’.6 We contrast the assertions of Dwyer et al 1 with the recent guidance produced by the Association of Anesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland on the use of RA in lower leg trauma.7 In their appendix, they have summarized the available literature and reference 5 systematic reviews, 16 case reports and 1 case series. Tibial compartment syndrome complicating closed femoral nailing: diagnosis delayed by an epidural analgesic technique--case report.

Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) have been increasingly recognized in the critically ill over the past decade. In the absence of consensus definitions and treatment guidelines the diagnosis and management of IAH and ACS remains variable from institution to institution. An international consensus group of multidisciplinary critical care specialists convened at the second World Congress on Abdominal Compartment Syndrome to develop practice guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of IAH and ACS. Prior to the conference the authors developed a blueprint for consensus definitions and treatment guidelines which were refined both during and after the conference. The present article is the second installment of the final report from the 2004 International ACS Consensus Definitions Conference and is endorsed by the World Society of the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome. The prevalence and etiological factors for IAH and ACS are reviewed. Evidence-based medicine treatment guidelines are presented to facilitate the diagnosis and management of IAH and ACS. Recommendations to guide future studies are proposed. These definitions, guidelines, and recommendations, based upon current best evidence and expert opinion are proposed to assist clinicians in the management of IAH and ACS as well as serve as a reference for future clinical and basic science research.