JEMS - Apr 1, 2017 - By William Selde
..."Trauma remains a major cause of death and disability globally. Damage control resuscitation is a strategy that focuses on attempting to maintain or restore homeostasis in
trauma patients.
The name "damage control" references the naval tactics employed to keep a damaged ship as combat-capable as possible until definite repair can take place. The concept goes hand in hand with damage control surgery. However, for prehospital care, surgery is clearly beyond the scope of practice and won't be discussed here.
First described in the late 1970s and early 1980s, damage control resuscitation has continued to evolve and is primarily focused on mitigating the life threats of trauma.
The main threats concentrated on in damage control resuscitation are acidosis, coagulopathy and hypothermia. Ideally, these pathologies are all addressed in a simultaneous and balanced manner. These three abnormalities form a forward feedback loop that leads to progressive worsening of a patient's hemodynamic status and will eventually lead to death..."