A postmortem study of blunt cardiac injuries.

ABSTRACT

35 cases of blunt cardiac trauma following vehicular accidents brought for autopsy to the morgue of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal have been studied to find out types of cardiac injuries, their association with sternal and rib fractures, mechanism of causation, risk factors, etc. It was observed that 48.57% of the cases with blunt cardiac trauma had associated sternal and rib fractures. Maximum number (60%) of the cardiac rupture was seen in run-over cases. 40% of the cases had injury to the right ventricle. All the injuries were located on the anterior surface of the heart. In one (2.86%) case, laceration of the right atrium without any external injury of the chest region was observed. In assessing blunt cardiac trauma victims in vehicular accidents, knowledge about the commonest sites, types and degrees of injuries as has been highlighted in the present study will be of great help in a timely intervention.