Iyer D, et al. - In this prospective study, researchers investigated the association between intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), pulmonary compliance and the duration of mechanical ventilation among 220 consecutively enrolled mechanically ventilated patients admitted to a mixed surgical-medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary referral hospital. They found no correlation between IAPs and pulmonary compliance in critically ill patients. A longer duration of mechanical ventilation was observed in relation to increased IAP. They noted that the duration of mechanical ventilation could be predicted by using a nomogram integrating daily IAP, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and fluid balance.