title: Cardiac injuries: analysis of an unselected series of 251 cases.
abstract: Retrospective analysis was performed on the medical records of 251 patients treated for cardiac injuries at Highland General Hospital trauma facility in Alameda County, California, to identify factors that contribute to patient survival and predict death. Thirty-six patients (14%) had blunt injuries, 153 patients (61%) had gunshot wounds (GSW), and 62 patients (25%) had stab wounds. The overall survival rate was 18.7%, GSW survival was 6.5%, stab wound survival was 37.1%, and blunt injury survival was 40%. Patients who arrived with some vital signs had 62.2% survival and patients who arrived with absent vital signs had < 1% survival. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that for patients with absent vital signs the only significant predictor of outcome was GSW as the mechanism of injury and for patients with vital signs the ISS and the presence of combined right and left heart injuries were significant independent predictors of outcome. We conclude that the routine and aggressive use of emergency room thoracotomy for patients with penetrating cardiac injury must be re-examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis-East Bay (Highland General Hospital), Oakland 94602.
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Peskin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barkan
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Organ
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012151:Resuscitation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013908:Thoracotomy; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000401:mortality; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery