Isolated pneumopericardium after penetrating chest injury

Penumopericardium and tension pneumopericardium after closed-chest injury.

Three recent cases of pneumopericardium after closed-chest injury are described. The mechanism of pericardial inflation suspected in each was pleuropericardial laceration in the presence of an intrathoracic air leak. Deflation of the pericardium was achieved by underwater seal drainage of the right pleural cavity in the first patient, during thoracotomy for repair of tracheobronchial rupture in...

Cardiac tamponade secondary to tension pneumopericardium from penetrating chest trauma.

Cardiac tamponade secondary to air is rare. Pneumopericardium is most commonly encountered in neonates, often secondary to positive pressure ventilation. 1-3 In adults blunt trauma is the main cause of pneumopericardium. Cardiac tamponade occurs in roughly one-third of such patients. 1 A 24-year-old man presented to the Tshepong casualty department with a stabbed chest. His vital signs were ini...

An unusual potentially fatal penetrating chest injury.

Scrotal Swelling After Penetrating Chest Trauma

A 16-year-old male was brought to the emergency department by ambulance after being found lying unresponsive on an overturned motorcycle. He was orotracheally intubated. He had palpable subcutaneous crepitus over the chest and abdomen with massive scrotal swelling, and his back exam revealed multiple penetrating wounds (Figure 1). Autopsy results found five rightsided posterior thoracic gunshot...

Mortality from isolated civilian penetrating extremity injury.

BACKGROUND Although studies have ascertained that ten percent of soldiers killed in battle bleed to death from extremity wounds, little data exists on exsanguination and mortality from extremity injuries in civilian trauma. This study examined the treatment course and outcomes of civilian patients who appear to have exsanguinated from isolated penetrating extremity injuries. METHODS Five and ...