Citation

Parentic M, Podolski E, Korda M, Katic B, Kajs FJ, Krzelj K, Belina D, Gasparovic H, Tokic T, Duric Z. J. Surg. Case Rep. 2024; 2024(3): rjae159.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/jscr/rjae159

PMID

38505331

PMCID

PMC10948745

Abstract

Penetrating cardiac injuries are rare but are one of the most urgent emergencies because they require early intervention in order to prevent death. The mortality rate of such injuries, including pre-hospitalization deaths, goes up to 90%. The most commonly injured heart chamber is the right ventricle since it takes over half of the anterior thoracic wall. The left ventricle is injured less often, but these patients usually have worse prognoses and higher mortality rates because such injuries lead to hemodynamic instability faster. We present a unique case of a suicide attempt in which the patient stabbed himself with a knife, penetrated the left ventricle, and survived even though he transected the second diagonal branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery and pulled the knife out of his chest.

Language: en

Keywords

cardiac injury; cardiac tamponade; hemorrhagic shock; stab wound