The goal of this observational cohort study is to evaluate the standard of care for general surgerical patients undergoing emergency laparotomy and assess factors affecting clinical outcomes, as well as evaluating the quality of life in the year after abdominal surgery.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. what factors are associated with adverse post-operative events
2. are patients treated differently based on sex or age
3. how does quality of life look like and possibly change over the coarse of a year after surgery

This is an evaluation of the current standard of care and the outcomes of this patient group prior to the implementation of a standardised care protocols for emergency laparotomy patients. Secondly, the study aims to, over time, compare results before and after the introduction of this standardised care protocol.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Undergoing emergency laparotomy due to general surgical indication

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children under 16
• Trauma laparotomy
• Vascular, urological or gynaecological indication for laparotomy

Inclusion of adult general surgical patients undergoing an emergency laparotomy during period 2015 and 2029. The cohort of 2015-2022 will be compared to the cohort of 2023-2029 in terms of general outcomes. The cohort of 2023-2029 will specifically be studied for any impact of emergency laparotomy on quality of life.