Citation

Sobnach S, Castillo F, Blanco Vinent R, Kahn D, Bhyat A. Heart Lung Circ. 2011; 20(7): 479-481.

Affiliation

Department of General Surgery, Kimberley Hospital Complex, Du Toitspan Road, Private Bag X 5021, Kimberley 8300, South Africa; Department of Surgery, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.hlc.2011.01.006

PMID

21315651

Abstract

Penetrating cardiac injuries are common in South Africa. Reports describing traumatic lesions to the heart caused by caudo-cranial migration of ingested foreign bodies are however extremely rare. Delayed presentation and intervention are associated with poor outcome in these patients; cardiac tamponade remains the most serious complication. We present the case of a 19-year-old man who sustained a left ventricular injury after intentionally swallowing eight sewing needles. The impacted needle was removed through a median sternotomy and the patient recovered uneventfully.

Language: en