Injuries to the Abdomen from Explosion

Purpose of Review: Explosions are a realistic threat in contemporary society. The intent of the following review was to exploit the salient lessons learned from recent military operations and large-scale civilian terrorist explosion events as a basis to inform and improve care of this severely injured population. Recent Findings: Explosions create complex and demanding clinical circumstances at multiple levels from the pre-hospital care realm to the overarching trauma care system. Most intentional explosive events generate multiple casualties. Furthermore, these incidents are associated with a significant rate of injury with most casualties sustaining injuries to >3 body regions. Fragmentation injuries to the abdomen/torso are particularly challenging due to their attendant risk for hemorrhage and high associated mortality. Outcomes of patients with traumatic coagulopathy and massive hemorrhage can be improved utilizing the damage control philosophy.