Cardiac and Major Vascular Injuries After Chest Trauma: 5 Years of Experience

Abstract

Background: We aimed to determine the incidence, clinical presentation, diagnostic approaches and effective surgical treatment of penetrating thoracic injuries involving the heart and major vessels. Material and Methods: 126 patients, who had chest trauma between January 2015 and January 2019 were evaluated. The relationship between findings at the time of admission and postoperative patient status was attempted to be revealed. Results: The mean age of patients included in this study was 27 ± 6.1 years. The stab injury was the most common mechanism of injury (n=76, 60.3%).The most commonly injured organ was found to be the heart with 56 patients (44.4%).The preoperative mean arterial pressure of patients transferred to the intensive care without mechanical support was 82 mmHg (range: 0–135 mmHg), while it was at 65 mmHg (range: 0–112 mmHg) for patients who died during the operation (p < 0.001).The hemoglobin values of patients who lived and died at admission were 6.9 mg/dl (range: 4.1–11 mg/dl) and 5.6 mg/dl (range: 2.8–10.1 mg/dl), respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: It is possible to predict mortality by evaluating complete blood count, systolic blood pressure, and site of injury at admission. Success can be achieved with accurate diagnosis, resuscitation, and early surgical interventions.

Keywords

• Cardiac injury
• Chest Trauma
• Vascular injury
• Thorax penetration

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