ObjectiveTo evaluate the University of Kentucky experience in treating acute intestinal ischemia to elucidate factors that contribute to survival. Summary Background DataAcute intestinal ischemia is reported to have a poor prognosis, with survival rates ranging from 0% to 40%. This is based on several reports, most of which were published more than a decade ago. Remarkably, there is a paucity of recent studies that report on current outcome for acute mesenteric ischemia.

Most blunt trauma patients with OPTX can be carefully monitored without tube thoracostomy; however, OPTX progression and respiratory distress are independently associated with observation failure.