High Mortality Rates in Hypotensive Combat Casualties Requiring Emergent Laparotomy

Combat casualties requiring emergent laparotomy have a mortality rate of 29.5%, compared to 6.5% in normotensive patients. Despite implementing damage control principles, mortality rates remained high in hypotensive patients. The study analyzed 1051 patients, showing no improvement in hypotensive casualty mortality rates after the implementation of clinical practice guidelines.