Failure-to-rescue and mortality after emergent pediatric trauma laparotomy: How are the children doing?

•Mortality rates for pediatric trauma patients undergoing emergency laparotomy are high, with hypotensive patients having mortality rates up to 31%.•Emergent trauma laparotomy is associated with high major complication and failure-to-rescue rates.•Patient-related and not hospital-related factors are associated with failure-to-rescue among emergent pediatric trauma laparotomy patients.