Abbreviated laparotomy for damage control: a case report.

During the initial operation on victims of multisystem trauma, life-threatening hypothermia, metabolic acidosis and coagulopathy occasionally develop. Without the immediate control of active bleeding and correction of these abnormalities, the intraoperative death rate is high. A patient with severe abdominal trauma was successfully managed with staged laparotomies. The patient's initial surgery was abbreviated to allow the aggressive correction of hypothermia and coagulopathy before definitive reconstruction of bowel injuries. Abbreviated laparotomy for damage control should be a part of the surgical armamentarium in the management of severe abdominal trauma.