Unstable cardiac injury complicated with septic shock-a challenge

Road traffic accident accounts for 70 % to 80 % of the blunt cardiac injury. The true incidence varies in the literature due to non-uniform criteria for diagnosis.

Here, we describe the case of a young male presenting after blunt chest injury and hemodynamic instability. Initially, the patient had frequent episodes of arrhythmias and hypotension due to cardiac injury per se. However, he was stabilized by day 2. Subsequently, patient developed cellulitis followed by septic shock and succumbed to cellulitis on day 5 of injury.

Sepsis is difficult to be diagnosed and treated in the presence of cardiac injury. Myocardial depression has been found in sepsis, which contributes as an added comorbidity in an already compromised heart function. Sepsis also interferes with the diagnosis and follow-up of progress of blunt cardiac injury.