Acute Care Surgery Glossary

Truncated surgical procedure focusing on immediate life-threatening issues while deferring complex reconstructive work.

Pathologically elevated intra-abdominal pressure causing organ dysfunction.

Predetermined clinical parameters that trigger emergency response protocols or specialized team involvement.

Specialized surgical team dedicated to emergency general surgery, trauma, and critical care.

Postoperative complication involving breakdown or inadequate healing of surgically joined bowel segments.

Minimally invasive procedure using catheter-directed placement of materials to occlude bleeding vessels.

Standardized approach to trauma patient evaluation emphasizing systematic assessment and prioritization.

A minimally invasive technique using an inflated balloon catheter to achieve hemostasis in bleeding cavities or vessels....

Emergency hemostatic technique using an inflated balloon catheter to compress bleeding vessels or organs.

Non-penetrating abdominal injury typically caused by motor vehicle accidents, falls, or direct impact.

Surgical connection between two segments of intestine following resection or bypass.

Surgical evaluation to determine whether intestinal tissue has adequate blood supply and will survive.

Temporary anticoagulant therapy used during perioperative periods when long-term anticoagulation must be interrupted.

Condition where increased pressure within a confined anatomical space compromises circulation and tissue viability.

Emergency abdominal surgery performed immediately upon arrival to the operating room without standard preparation.

An emergency surgical airway procedure involving an incision through the cricothyroid membrane to establish ventilation.

Clear intravenous fluid containing dissolved electrolytes, used for initial resuscitation in acute care surgery.

Initial fluid therapy using electrolyte solutions for hemodynamic stabilization in acute care surgery patients.

Abbreviated surgical approach prioritizing hemorrhage control and contamination source control over definitive repair in...

Temporary stabilization of fractures in polytrauma patients to minimize physiologic insult before definitive repair.

Abbreviated surgical intervention to control hemorrhage and contamination in critically unstable patients.

A procedure involving insertion of a catheter into the peritoneal cavity to sample fluid for diagnostic purposes in trau...

Minimally invasive procedure to detect intraperitoneal bleeding or contamination in trauma patients.

An immediate surgical procedure performed in the emergency department to access the thoracic cavity in critically injure...