Question:

A 35-year-old male presents with stab wound to the epigastrium, hypotension, and guarding. What is the immediate intervention of choice?

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Penetrating abdominal trauma with hypotension and guarding = immediate exploratory laparotomy.
Updated On: May 14, 2026
  • FAST
  • DPL
  • CT Scan
  • Exploratory laparotomy
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Concept: Penetrating abdominal trauma with hemodynamic instability and peritonitis requires immediate surgical exploration. Imaging should not delay life-saving surgery.

Step 1:
Identify hemodynamic instability.
The patient is hypotensive, which means he is unstable.

Step 2:
Identify peritonitis.
Guarding suggests peritoneal irritation due to intra-abdominal injury.

Step 3:
Choose immediate intervention.
In penetrating abdominal trauma with shock and guarding, the immediate intervention is: \[ \text{Exploratory laparotomy} \] Therefore, the correct answer is Exploratory laparotomy.
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