title: [Penetrating knife injury of the heart. Emergency management and definitive treatment: case report and review of the literature].
abstract: The outcome of patients with penetrating heart injuries depends to a great extent on aggressive primary care and fast transport to the closest appropriate trauma center. There, after confirming the diagnosis, the injured victim has to be transferred without any delay to the operating room where the penetrating injury can be dealt with. The importance of resolute emergency management is shown based on a case presentation and a review of the current literature. The employment of extracorporal circulation (heart-lung machine) is rather subordinate in the primary care of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Unfallchirurgie, Universitätsklinikum der Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen. Jens-Peter.Stahl@chiru.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Stertmann
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Horas
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Hehrlein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schnettler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D004452:Echocardiography; D004630:Emergencies; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D006355:Heart-Lung Machine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*