A 63-year-old man is brought to the Emergency Department by ambulance after he injured his...

This patient has a traumatic abdominal wall laceration but is hemodynamically stable , and importantly, there is no fascial violation . MCCQE objectives emphasize that the key determinant in abdominal trauma is whether the peritoneum/fascia has been breached , as this determines the risk of intra-abdominal injury. In the absence of fascial penetration and with stable vital signs, the injury is limited to the soft tissues of the abdominal wall.

Therefore, the appropriate management is local wound care and primary repair after adequate irrigation and assessment. Abdominal CT or exploratory laparotomy is not indicated because there is no evidence of peritoneal violation or intra-abdominal injury. Surgical debridement with delayed closure is typically reserved for grossly contaminated wounds or high infection risk. Antibiotic irrigation alone is insufficient without proper closure.

Thus, for a stable patient with a superficial abdominal wall laceration that does not penetrate fascia, primary repair is the correct next step.