[Surgical management of life-threatening injuries]

Life-threatening situations after multiple trauma which then require interruption of the diagnostic algorithm and immediate surgical treatment after admission are a challenge for the multidisciplinary trauma team. Emergency surgery after trauma may be necessary for the abdomen, the pelvis, the chest as well as the head. Therefore, several disciplines may be involved. Damage control surgery is the leading surgical strategy in emergency surgery in unstable trauma patients. The main aspects of damage control surgery are outlined in this article. The goal of damage control surgery is to gain control of bleeding as soon as possible without additional surgical trauma. Packing plays a central role in damage control surgery of the abdomen and the pelvis. Surgical decision-making occurs under unfavorable circumstances and extreme time pressure. However, surgical interventions in the shock room rarely occur in the German health system. Therefore, indications and decision-making processes of these challenging situations have to be practiced with standardized algorithms. The "Definitive Surgical Trauma Care" (DSTC)- courses may contribute to a straightforward performance in an emergency operation.