Diagnosis and Treatment of Penetrating Cardiac Injury One Year after Thoracic Stab Wound

In any patient with a history of penetrating thoracic trauma, cardiac injury must be kept in mind. Here, we describe a 36 years-old female referred to this hospital with severe chest pain and hypotension. After primary evaluation and suggestion of AMI, streptokinase was started for the patient and because of deterioration of vital signs, cardiac surgery consultation was requested. After performing urgent echocardiography, massive pericardial tamponade was detected. Visualization of a knife blade on C.X.R and past medical history of thoracic stab injury led to a diagnosis of delayed cardiac tamponade and urgent sternotomy was performed. The blade that had penetrated the right ventricular chamber was extracted. Six days after operation, patient was discharged without any problem. This case study suggests the importance of high suspicion to cardiac injury in any patient with chest pain and a history of chest trauma.