Background: Although there is no debate that patients with peritonitis or hemodynamic
instability should undergo urgent laparotomy after penetrating injury to the abdomen, it is also …

Objective: To develop consensus statements for the diagnosis and management of corticosteroid
insufficiency in critically ill adult patients. Participants: A multidisciplinary, multispecialty …

Objectives To compare the design and results of randomized trials investigating prolonged
glucocorticoid treatment (≥ 7 days) in patients with acute lung injury–acute respiratory …

BACKGROUND Small-bowel obstruction (SBO) represents as many as 16% of surgical
admissions and more than 300,000 operations annually in the United States. The optimal …

Background Despite the prevalence and recognized association of pulmonary contusion and
flail chest (PC-FC) as a combined, complex injury pattern with interrelated pathophysiology…

BACKGROUND Extremity arterial injury after penetrating trauma is common in military conflict
or urban trauma centers. Most peripheral arterial injuries occur in the femoral and popliteal …

Severely injured trauma victims are at high risk of development of the multiple organ dysfunction
syndrome (MODS) or death. To maximize chances for survival, treatment priorities must …

The description of patients presenting with small bowel obstruction (SBO) dates back to the
third or fourth century, when early surgeons created enterocutaneous fistulas to relieve a …

The management of injuries to the neck that penetrate the platysma is dependent on the
anatomic level of injury. The neck has been divided into threes zones. Zone I, including the …

BACKGROUND Traumatic injury to the pancreas is rare but is associated with significant
morbidity and mortality, including fistula, sepsis, and death. There are currently no practice …