TY - JOUR T1 - Open abdomen critical care management principles: resuscitation, fluid balance, nutrition, and ventilator management JF - Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open DO - 10.1136/tsaco-2016-000063 VL - 2 IS - 1 SP - e000063 AU - Elizabeth Chabot AU - Ram Nirula Y1 - 2017/09/01 UR - http://tsaco.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000063.abstract N2 - The term “open abdomen” refers to a surgically created defect in the abdominal wall that exposes abdominal viscera. Leaving an abdominal cavity temporarily open has been well described for several indications, including damage control surgery and abdominal compartment syndrome. Although beneficial in certain patients, the act of keeping an abdominal cavity open has physiologic repercussions that must be recognized and managed during postoperative care. This review article describes these issues and provides guidelines for the critical care physician managing a patient with an open abdomen. ER -