Successful resuscitation by emergency room thoracotomy in a patient in agonal state with hemorrhagic shock resulting from penetrating cardiac injury.
A 23-year-old male patient, who was stabbed in the left chest at the fourth intercostal space leaving a 4-cm wound, was in agonal state with blood pressure of 0/0 kPa when admitted. The patient underwent emergency room thoractomy on stretcher through the left fourth intercostal anterior lateral incision 16 min after injury. The exploration revealed 2 500 ml blood in the plural cavity, 4-cm wound in the pericardium, 2-cm wound in the right ventricle of the heart without asystole, and 5-cm wound in the left upper lobe of the lung. Within 4 min the wound in the heart was sutured with the pericardium as the backing. The patient was discharged with full recovery 8 d after injury.
Wu
Xu
X
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Wang
Wu-Jun
WJ
Sang
Xian-Fu
XF
Hu
Zhen-Fu
ZF
Chen
Gang
G
Chen
Dong-Sheng
DS
Guo
Gang
G
Xiang
Qian
Q
Tian
Ke
K
Peng
Yue-Hua
YH
D000328:Adult; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012771:Shock, Hemorrhagic / Q000601:surgery*; D013908:Thoracotomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000601:surgery*