title: [Heart injury following closed thoracic injury].
abstract: A 60-year-old man, was admitted in the emergency ward, following a motor vehicle accident. At the time of arrival his clinical state was stable. The initial investigations showed a moderate left haemopneumothorax and fractured ribs. After insertion of a thoracostomy tube into the left pleural cavity he had to undergo surgery for an open fracture of the left arm. Following induction of anaesthesia, a cardiovascular collapse occurred rapidly. An emergency thoracotomy was performed which showed a right ventricular perforation by a rib fragment. The authors discuss the role of possible changes in heart position produced by induction of general anaesthesia. Indeed the decrease in functional residual capacity following induction of anaesthesia with a cephalad diaphragmatic shift may have secondarily exposed the right ventricle to the bevel of a fractured rib.
authors.affiliation: Service de réanimation-chirurgicale, hôpital Charles-Nicolle, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bourguignon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Godier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genevois
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaeffer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dureuil
mesh_terms: D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries*; D006468:Hemopneumothorax / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*