title: Penetrating cardiac injury following sewing needle ingestion.
abstract: Penetrating cardiac injuries are common in South Africa. Reports describing traumatic lesions to the heart caused by caudo-cranial migration of ingested foreign bodies are however extremely rare. Delayed presentation and intervention are associated with poor outcome in these patients; cardiac tamponade remains the most serious complication. We present the case of a 19 year-old man who sustained a left ventricular injury after intentionally swallowing eight sewing needles. The impacted needle was removed through a median sternotomy and the patient recovered uneventfully.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kimberley Hospital Complex, Du Toitspan Road, Kimberley 8300, South Africa. sanjusobnach@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sanju
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sobnach
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blanco Vinent
authors.forename: Delawir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhyat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004435:Eating; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery*; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles