title: Cardiac tamponade from slingshot metal darts in Chuuk: a retrospective review of cases.
abstract: We determined the immediate cause of death of patients with penetrating cardiac injuries from slingshot metal darts. This retrospective review of cases focused on those 7 patients with penetrating cardiac injuries from the period July 1999 to July 2005. There were 6 patients who underwent emergency thoracotomy regardless of the type of operative approach. Five of the 6 patients who were operated underwent left Lateral Thoracotomy and 1 patient underwent Median Sternotomy. There were 11 patients who sustained cardiac injuries out of the 240 cases reviewed. The patient's with cardiac injuries had a higher mortality (27.3%) than those who have penetrating thoracic injuries (3.5%) without associated cardiac injury. Of the seven patients who had penetrating cardiac injuries, 5 patients underwent left Lateral thoracotomy and 1 patient underwent median sternotomy. All 6 patients had chest tube thoracotomy insertion prior to surgery. There were 2 deaths in this review of penetrating cardiac injuries. The other patient with 7 multiple slingshot injuries died of cardiac tamponade with hypovolemic shock.
authors.affiliation: C/- Chuuk State Hospital, Federated States of Micronesia. jcars3@yahoo.com
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Arsenal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Remit
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yichiro
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D008849:Micronesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery