Resuscitation in Emergency General Surgery

Emergency general surgical patients often present with shock, requiring resuscitation and stabilisation before transfer to the operating theatre. The causes of shock in this patient cohort are varied due to the heterogeneous group of conditions managed by general surgeons. Hypovolaemic, septic and haemorrhagic shock are most commonly encountered. While the cardinal sign in all shock states is systemic arterial hypotension, there are differences in the management of each condition. Coagulopathy is a complication of haemorrhagic and septic shock, and can progress to disseminated intravascular coagulation. This chapter aims to highlight recent advances in the understanding and management of shock and coagulopathy in the context of the emergency surgical patient.