title: [Diagnosis and treatment of penetrating injury to the left ventricle].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review our experiences with diagnosis and treatment of 6 cases of penetrating injury to the left ventricle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients were admitted to the emergency department 0.5 to 3 h after the injury, all with shock and 3 with obvious pericardiac tamponade. All the patients received immediate thoracotomy for repairing the ruptured left ventricle, sub-pericardial window and pericardiocentesis, with also blood autotransfusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients survived the operations. One patient required reexploration because of hemorrhage in the chest and two presented ST-segment changes in postoperative ECG, and one had nonspecific intraventricular conduction delay with T-wave inversion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Penetrating injury to the left ventricle is manifested by low blood pressure and signs of pericardial tamponade. Immediate thoracotomy to relieve the tamponade and effective hemostasis can be critical for management of such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510150, China. wzhaohong@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Zhao-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei-Guo
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Ge-Fei
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gang-Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guo-Sen
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Jin-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery