Citation

Roth T, Kipfer B, Takala J, Schmid RA. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 2002; 21(1): 121-123.

Affiliation

Division of General Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11788280

Abstract

A 33-year-old patient was hospitalized after a blunt chest trauma with a left flail chest. Six hours after admission to the intensive care unit the patient suddenly developed hypotension and tachycardia. His left chest tube drained 1.5 l of blood within minutes. Immediate resuscitation and emergency sternotomy with left anterolateral extension was performed for pericardial tamponade secondary to left ventricular perforation due to a sharp rib fragment. Outcome was favourable and the patient was operated on for his flail chest by internal stabilization the next day.

Language: en