**8. Damage control surgery – indications**

As mentioned earlier, DCS can play a vital role in the setting of the "lethal triad" and thus metabolic acidosis (pH <7.2), hypothermia (<34°C), and coagulopathy (prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time > two times normal) constitute absolute indications for DCS. Uncontrolled major intraabdominal bleeding, association with extra-abdominal injury, >10 units of blood transfusion, and hemodynamic instability (low blood pressure and tachycardia) are relative indications for DCS [29].
