Penetrating trauma to the heart: a relatively innocent injury

Surgery. 1994 Jun;115(6):694-7.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the mortality rate of penetrating cardiac trauma in a large urban hospital.

Methods: This was a retrospective study over a period of 5 years and 5 months of all patients admitted alive with a stab or a gunshot cardiac injury.

Results: There were 310 patients with a stab wound and 63 with a gunshot wound. The overall mortality rate was 19%. The mortality rates for the stab and the gunshot groups were 13% and 50.7%, respectively. In the 296 patients with a cardiac stab wound confined to a single chamber and with no other associated extracardiac injury the mortality rate was 8.5%.

Conclusions: An isolated cardiac stab wound is a relatively innocent injury in a patient at a hospital accustomed to managing penetrating trauma expeditiously.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Heart Injuries / mortality*
  • Heart Injuries / surgery
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sternum / surgery
  • Thoracotomy
  • Wounds, Gunshot / mortality*
  • Wounds, Gunshot / surgery
  • Wounds, Stab / mortality*
  • Wounds, Stab / surgery