The role of open abdomen in non-trauma patient: WSES Consensus Paper

• Published in: World journal of emergency surgery 2017-08, Vol.12 (1), p.39-39, Article 39
• Main Authors: Coccolini, Federico, Montori, Giulia, Ceresoli, Marco, Catena, Fausto, Moore, Ernest E, Ivatury, Rao, Biffl, Walter, Peitzman, Andrew, Coimbra, Raul, Rizoli, Sandro, Kluger, Yoram, Abu-Zidan, Fikri M, Sartelli, Massimo, De Moya, Marc, Velmahos, George, Fraga, Gustavo Pereira, Pereira, Bruno M, Leppaniemi, Ari, Boermeester, Marja A, Kirkpatrick, Andrew W, Maier, Ron, Bala, Miklosh, Sakakushev, Boris, Khokha, Vladimir, Malbrain, Manu, Agnoletti, Vanni, Martin-Loeches, Ignacio, Sugrue, Michael, Di Saverio, Salomone, Griffiths, Ewen, Soreide, Kjetil, Mazuski, John E, May, Addison K, Montravers, Philippe, Melotti, Rita Maria, Pisano, Michele, Salvetti, Francesco, Marchesi, Gianmariano, Valetti, Tino M, Scalea, Thomas, Chiara, Osvaldo, Kashuk, Jeffry L, Ansaloni, Luca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Abdominal Wound Closure Techniques - standards; Abdominal Wound Closure Techniques - trends; Care and treatment; Consensus; Critical Illness; Edema; Humans; Hypertension; Intensive care; Laparostomy; Laparotomy; Lower Body Negative Pressure - methods; Methods; Non-trauma; Nutrition; Open abdomen; Pancreatitis; Pancreatitis - surgery; Parenteral nutrition; Patients; Peritonitis; Physiology; Postoperative care; Quality; Review; Sepsis; Studies; Trauma; Vascular emergencies
• ISSN: 1749-7922; 1749-7922
• DOI: 10.1186/s13017-017-0146-1

The open abdomen (OA) is defined as intentional decision to leave the fascial edges of the abdomen un-approximated after laparotomy (laparostomy). The abdominal contents are potentially exposed and therefore must be protected with a temporary coverage, which is referred to as temporal abdominal closure (TAC). OA use remains widely debated with many specific details deserving detailed assessment and clarification. To date, in patients with intra-abdominal emergencies, the OA has not been formally endorsed for routine utilization; although, utilization is seemingly increasing. Therefore, the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), Abdominal Compartment Society (WSACS) and the Donegal Research Academy united a worldwide group of experts in an international consensus conference to review and thereafter propose the basis for evidence-directed utilization of OA management in non-trauma emergency surgery and critically ill patients. In addition to utilization recommendations, questions with insufficient evidence urgently requiring future study were identified.