title: Acute bacterial endocarditis following traumatic ventricular septal defect.
abstract: Traumatic ventricular septal defect occur rarely although penetrating wounds of the heart rate are fairly common. The urgency for the surgical correction of traumatic ventricular septal defects has been debated. In life-saving instances where left heart failure or cardiac tamponade occur, the decision is simple. A case report of early bacterial endocarditis complicating traumatic ventricular septal defect in the first 12 hours following injury has been presented. Avoidance of this complication by early surgical correction is advocated.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000150:complications; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000150:complications*