title: Open abdomen in trauma patients: a double-edged sword.
abstract: The use of open abdomen (OA) as a technique in the treatment of exsanguinating trauma patients was first described in the mid-19(th) century. Since the 1980s, OA has become a relatively new and increasingly common strategy to manage massive trauma and abdominal catastrophes. OA has been proven to help reduce the mortality of trauma. Nevertheless, the OA method may be associated with terrible and devastating complications such as enteroatmospheric fistula (EAF). As a result, OA should not be overused, and attention should be given to critical care as well as special management. The temporary abdominal closure (TAC) technique after abbreviated laparotomy was used to improve wound healing and facilitate final fascial closure of OA. Negative pressure therapy (NPT) is the most commonly used TAC method.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, 305 East Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210002 China.
authors.forename: Yu-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, 305 East Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210002 China.
authors.forename: You-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Abdominal compartment syndrome; Damage control; Enteroatmospheric fistula; Negative pressure therapy; Open abdomen