Abstract
A critical component of the evaluation of an injured patient is assessment for the presence of intra-abdominal injuries. If such injuries are identified or suspected, then a decision must be made as to whether operative exploration is indicated. While there are general guidelines, and a few absolute rules, in general the decision to proceed with laparotomy is dependent on multiple considerations, including mechanism of injury, physical examination, response to resuscitation, and results of lab tests and imaging. The goal is the rapid diagnosis and operative management of intra-abdominal injuries, to avoid missed injuries, but limit unnecessary diagnostic testing, delays, and nontherapeutic laparotomy.
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Shah, P.K. (2015). Indications and Techniques for Trauma Laparotomy. In: Scalea, T. (eds) The Shock Trauma Manual of Operative Techniques. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2371-7_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2371-7_4
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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