Figure 3. Increased intracranial pressure secondary to increased intraabdominal pressure in an acute porcine model with the intraabdominal instillation of isosmotic polyethylene glycol and prevention of the increased intracranial pressure with median sternotomy and pleuropericardiotomy. (Reprinted with permission from Bloomfield GL, Ridings PC, Blocher CR, Sugerman HJ. Increased pleural pressure mediates the effects of elevated intra-abdominal pressure upon the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Crit Care Med 1997; 25:496–503.)