Jan 14, 2019
Author: Mike Hunt, MD
Educational Pearls:
- Blunt cardiac injuries most commonly occur in motor vehicle collisions, auto-pedestrian collisions, and from sports injuries
- The more anterior right ventricle is the most commonly injured structure
- Look for new EKG changes such as bundle branch blocks, ST changes, or other arrhythmias
- New EKG abnormalities should prompt consideration of further workup and admission for telemetry
- Patients may have an elevated troponin - but it is unclear when exactly this should be drawn after the injury
References:
Bellister SA, Dennis BM, Guillamondegui OD. Blunt and Penetrating Cardiac Trauma. Surg Clin North Am. 2017 Oct;97(5):1065-1076. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2017.06.012. Review. PubMed PMID: 28958358.
Marcolini EG, Keegan J. Blunt Cardiac Injury. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2015 Aug;33(3):519-27. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2015.04.003. Epub 2015 Jun 10. Review. PubMed PMID: 26226863.
Summarized by Travis Barlock, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD