A person who has had blunt chest trauma may experience cardiac rupture weeks after the original injury.
Clinical features:
(1) The patient has a history of blunt chest trauma.
(2) Several weeks later there is a rupture of the myocardium with hemopericardium or hemothorax.
(3) The patient may present in shock or cardiac tamponade.
Risk factors:
(1) fractured rib(s)
(2) damage to a coronary artery
(3) anticoagulation therapy
The association between the trauma and the cardiac rupture may be missed if the trauma:
(1) was thought to be minor
(2) has been forgotten.
(3) occurred while the person was unconscious.
Differential diagnosis:
(1) cardiac rupture following a recent myocardial infarction (AMI)
(2) acute cardiac rupture following the blunt trauma (within 2-3 weeks of the trauma)
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Specialty: Surgery, orthopedic, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Surgery, general, Cardiology
