What it means
A checklist for circulation and nerve function in an arm or leg. The six P's are the warning signs of acute compartment syndromekum-PART-ment SIN-drohmA buildup of pressure inside a closed group of muscles that cuts off their blood supply.Full entry , when swelling inside a closed muscle compartment cuts off blood flow, and of a blocked artery. Pain out of proportion to the injury, worse when the muscle is stretched, is usually the earliest sign; loss of pulses is a late one. Some lists use pressure in place of poikilothermia.
For the nurse
Check the six P's often in a client with a cast, splint, fracture or recent limb surgery, and compare with the other limb. Report increasing pain that is not relieved by medicine at once; do not raise the limb above heart level if compartment syndrome is suspected.
At a glance
| Also written | Six P’s, six Ps, 6 Ps, 6 P's |
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Related terms
paralysis
Loss of the ability to move a part of the body, and sometimes loss of feeling in it.
compartment syndrome
A buildup of pressure inside a closed group of muscles that cuts off their blood supply.
cast care
The nursing care and teaching that keep a cast, and the limb inside it, safe and healthy.