Delayed heart perforation after blunt trauma.
A 33-year-old patient was hospitalized after a blunt chest trauma with a left flail chest. Six hours after admission to the intensive care unit the patient suddenly developed hypotension and tachycardia. His left chest tube drained 1.5 l of blood within minutes. Immediate resuscitation and emergency sternotomy with left anterolateral extension was performed for pericardial tamponade secondary to left ventricular perforation due to a sharp rib fragment. Outcome was favourable and the patient was operated on for his flail chest by internal stabilization the next day.
Roth
Thierry
T
Division of General Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
Kipfer
Beat
B
Takala
Jukka
J
Schmid
Ralph A
RA
D000328:Adult; D005409:Flail Chest / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*