• Andreas A Prachalias and Elissaios Kontis.
• Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
• Curr Opin Crit Care. 2014 Apr 1;20(2):218-25.

Purpose Of ReviewThe scope of the present study is to review the topics of initial assessment, diagnosis and clinical management of an isolated abdominal trauma.Recent FindingsProgress in the management of trauma patients increasing survival includes a multidisciplinary approach involving multiple specialties at presentation. If immediate surgical intervention is needed, 'damage control' is the best option; if not, it has been proven that conservative management is superior to operative, in terms of survival for the majority of intraabdominal injury. 'Open abdomen' should be performed in major abdominal traumas when indicated. Early enteral feeding is beneficial, even in the presence of 'open abdomen'.SummaryAbdominal trauma is a complex injury; the multidisciplinary approach has made nonoperative management feasible and effective. When surgical intervention is needed, it should be performed in an orderly fashion, within the context of the overall management.

26 keywords...

hide…