Fatal traumatic heart block as a result of apparently minor trauma.
We report a case of sudden death in an 18-year-old man who collapsed after falling prone onto a football. Although no external evidence of injury or cardiac contusion was noted, a right atrial endocardial tear extending through the conduction system was found at autopsy. This was thought to be responsible for his death and to explain the transient appearance of third-degree heart block during resuscitation.
Finn
W F
WF
Section on Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103.
Byrum
J E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D004630:Emergencies; D004699:Endocardium / Q000293:injuries*; D005538:Football; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012151:Resuscitation; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*