Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) describes physiologic derangements associated with intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH). Both IAH and ACS are aetiologically linked to increased morbidity and mortality in critically ill surgical patients. Although there is strong evidence on the deleterious effects of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome in different patient populations, measurement of intra-abdominal pressure is not yet universally applied even in patients for whom the evidence is most strong. This work marks the beginning of an objective look at this clinical phenomenon in abdominal surgical patients admitted to intensive care units of teaching hospitals in a resource-constrained environment.