A core outcome set for damage control laparotomy via modified Delphi method.

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Surgical Outcomes Research
• Clinical Trial Methodology

Background:

• Damage control laparotomy (DCL) is a critical trauma surgery technique.
• Inconsistent outcome reporting hinders DCL research and data pooling.
• Standardized outcome measures are needed for robust meta-analysis and Bayesian statistics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a core outcome set (COS) for clinical studies involving damage control laparotomy.
• To standardize outcome reporting in DCL research.
• To facilitate data aggregation and reduce bias in future DCL studies.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi study involving content experts in DCL.
• Experts were identified from Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) publications and task forces.
• A three-round electronic survey process was used to reach consensus.

Main Results:

• Twenty content experts participated, with high engagement across three rounds.
• Consensus was reached on 10 core outcomes, including mortality, fascial closure, abdominal complications, and functional outcomes.
• No further consensus was achieved in round 3 on additional outcomes.

Conclusions:

• A consensus-based core outcome set for damage control laparotomy research was established.
• This COS is recommended for adoption in future DCL clinical trials.
• Further research is needed to define specific measurement tools for these core outcomes.