title: Coronary artery dissection: an unusual cause of hypoxia in blunt trauma.
abstract: A 41-year-old motocross rider sustained blunt trauma to the chest following a collision with another rider. He was initially hypoxic and was given oxygen with a non-rebreather mask. He complained of chest pain. A prehospital extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (eFAST) scan was negative for pneumothorax, but demonstrated a hypokinetic left ventricle. An electrocardiogram (ECG) in the emergency department confirmed anterior myocardial infarction, found to be due to a traumatic left anterior descending coronary artery dissection. This case highlights a rare but life-threatening cause of hypoxia in blunt chest trauma.
authors.affiliation: Helicopter Retrieval Services, Bankstown, Australia. bjburns@ambulance.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Geoff
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Healy
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002637:Chest Pain; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology