Study protocol
organ injury, DCL, trauma
COMPLICATIONS
Patients in both study groups received trauma care in the emergency department and the operating group following current clinical practice guidelines and institutional protocols. After the decision to perform a DCL, patients underwent randomization in a double-blind manner. Randomization was performed in permuted blocks of four and six by an independent statistician using Random Allocation Software® [According to their allocation, the patients received a 72-h infusion (rate: 50 mL/h) of 3 N hypertonic saline or 0.9 N isotonic saline after the index damage control laparotomy. The infusion was administered in the intensive care unit. The presentation of the study solutions was similar. Neither the treating group nor the patients nor the investigators could discern their composition. The treating team made decisions regarding other fluids, blood components, vasopressors, inotropic support, or monitoring according to the usual practice. The study infusion was considered at all times when planning and executing fluid resuscitation. Double-blind was achieved by the use of similar appearing saline bags in the two groups.Decisions regarding the timing of the reoperations and the abdominal closure were made by the surgical team according to the need for reconstruction of specific lesions, the occurrence of complications, and the fluid balance. In each patient, the surgeons worked to reconstruct the lesions and close the abdomen as early as possible.The protocol for organ injury management and abdominal wall closure has been previously published [