Secondary left ventricular injury with haemopericardium caused by a rib fracture after blunt chest trauma.
Trauma is the third most common cause of death in the West. In the US, approximately 90,000 deaths annually are traumatic in nature and over 75% of casualties from blunt trauma are due to chest injuries. Cardiac injuries from rib fractures following blunt trauma are extremely rare. We report the unusual case of a patient who fell from a height and presented with haemopericardium and haemothorax as a result of left ventricular and lingular lacerations and was successfully operated upon.
Kaul
Pankaj
P
Yorkshire Heart Centre, Leeds General Infirmary, Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3EX, Leeds, UK. pankaj.kaul@leedsth.nhs.uk
Somsekhar
Ganti
G
Macauley
Graeme
G
D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery
D014014:Tissue Adhesives