title: Delayed diagnosis of post-traumatic acute myocardial infarction complicated by congestive heart failure.
abstract: A 53-year-old man experienced persistent chest pain followed by slight shortness of breath after being hit in the chest by a stranger. Chest X-ray study showed no rib fractures but electrocardiography indicated acute anterior wall myocardial infarction. Echocardiography revealed akinesia in both the interventricular septum and anterior left ventricular wall. Emergency cardiac catheterization demonstrated total occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery, 9 h after the event. He was successfully treated with coronary angioplasty and stenting procedures. However, poor left ventricular function was observed 3 months after the event despite medications. We conclude that evaluation for possible myocardial injury should be considered soon after blunt chest trauma for early treatment to improve prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tsung-Neng
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Shih-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tien-Ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Kuo-An
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shu-Meng
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D013997:Time Factors; D014754:Violence; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*