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Management of the Post-op Abdominal Catastrophe and Open Abdomen

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Surgical Critical Care Therapy

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Abstract

Damage control surgery and the application of the open abdomen technique have continued to evolve since its conception, playing a crucial role in the treatment of the surgical patient in extremis. Abbreviated laparotomy is focused on rapid control of hemorrhage and contamination. Emphasis then shifts to the intensive care unit (ICU), where the patient’s physiologic derangements are reversed prior to returning to the operating room for definitive repair of injuries. This chapter will focus on the ICU management of the patient with an open abdomen, addressing approaches to resuscitation, fluid and electrolyte management, ventilation, and nutritional support. The challenges the intensivist faces when caring for the patient with an open abdomen will also be discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Priya S. Prakash

  2. Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Patrick M. Reilly

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  1. Priya S. Prakash
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  2. Patrick M. Reilly
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Correspondence to Patrick M. Reilly .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Brigham and Womens’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Ali Salim

  2. Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA

    Carlos Brown

  3. Division of Trauma Surgery, Rm C5L100, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Kenji Inaba

  4. Trauma and Emergency Surgery Service, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Matthew J. Martin

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Prakash, P.S., Reilly, P.M. (2018). Management of the Post-op Abdominal Catastrophe and Open Abdomen. In: Salim, A., Brown, C., Inaba, K., Martin, M. (eds) Surgical Critical Care Therapy . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71712-8_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71712-8_26

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