Underlying disease determines the risk of an open abdomen treatment, final closure, however, is determined by the surgical abdominal history.

Introduction: Temporary abdominal closure is frequently used in several situations such as abbreviated surgery in damage control situations or when closing is impossible due to organ distention or increased abdominal pressure. The ultimate goal is to eventually close the fascia; however, little is known about factors predicting abdominal closure. The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics associated with the need for open abdomen as well as indicating the possibility of delayed fascial closure after a period of open abdominal treatment.

Medical record keeping during a mass casualty incident: Development of a disaster medical record.

Objective: Improve documentation during a mass casualty incident (MCI).

Design: This is a retrospective chart review.

Setting: This chart review was done in the Major Incident Hospital (MIH).