ABSTRACT
Historical Perspectives • P enetra ting abdom ina l trau m a was m anaged expectantly u n til the late 19th
century. • O perative m an ag em en t replaced expectan t m anagem en t in W orld W ar I and
reduced m o rta lity significantly. • Selective m an ag em en t was suggested for th e first tim e in 1960. It was prac
ticed first for stab w ounds and later for gunshot w ounds w ith success.
