Critical care concepts in the management of abdominal trauma.

Patients with significant abdominal trauma and polytrauma patients with less severe abdominal injuries require critical care management. The diagnostic skills used for the initial evaluation of the injured abdomen are used to determine whether celiotomy is required and to evaluate the postoperative abdomen for missed injury or early detection for complications. The critical care nurse must identify life-threatening abdominal injuries immediately and all abdominal injuries in a timely fashion through consideration of the mechanism of injury and a combination of history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests. All facets of the critical care management of abdominal trauma must be familiar to the critical care nurse in order to recognize abdominal injuries and lower the frequency of preventable death after trauma.