A 36-year-old male was stabbed in the abdomen and has no radial pulses. What is the most appropriate action to take first?

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Multiple Choice

A 36-year-old male was stabbed in the abdomen and has no radial pulses. What is the most appropriate action to take first?

In a penetrating abdominal trauma with no detectable pulse, the immediate goal is to restore perfusion by treating hemorrhagic shock. Absent pulses indicate inadequate circulating volume, so the fastest way to improve tissue perfusion is to establish rapid, large-bore IV access and start fluid resuscitation promptly, aiming to raise the systolic blood pressure toward about 90 mmHg while arranging definitive bleeding control. Imaging or antibiotics should not delay resuscitation in an unstable patient, and while controlling external bleeding is important, the key priority here is correcting the shock from internal bleeding. After stabilization, further steps like focused ultrasound (FAST) to assess internal bleeding and appropriate antibiotic therapy can be pursued.

In a penetrating abdominal trauma with no detectable pulse, the immediate goal is to restore perfusion by treating hemorrhagic shock. Absent pulses indicate inadequate circulating volume, so the fastest way to improve tissue perfusion is to establish rapid, large-bore IV access and start fluid resuscitation promptly, aiming to raise the systolic blood pressure toward about 90 mmHg while arranging definitive bleeding control. Imaging or antibiotics should not delay resuscitation in an unstable patient, and while controlling external bleeding is important, the key priority here is correcting the shock from internal bleeding. After stabilization, further steps like focused ultrasound (FAST) to assess internal bleeding and appropriate antibiotic therapy can be pursued.

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