Traditional management in cases of exsanguinating abdominal trauma led to poor outcomes in critically injured patients. Because prolonged operations were not well tolerated due to the severe physiologic derangements, an abbreviated laparotomy began to be used. Patients were then resuscitated in the intensive care unit and brought back to the operating room once their physiology had been normalised. This approach has been termed the damage control sequence. Elderly trauma patients are susceptible to significant injury that may mandate a damage control sequence. For myriad reasons, including pre-existing medical conditions, decreased physiologic reserve, and the emergent nature of their injuries, the application of this management approach in the elderly is fraught with challenges. The purpose of this review is to enumerate the damage control sequence, describe the complexities of its use in the elderly, and discuss associated outcomes in this challenging patient population.
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