Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025
Myocardial Infarction and Functional Outcome Assessment in Pigs
Published on: April 25, 2014
Survival After Cardiac Laceration From a Gunshot Wound: A Rare Case Report
Yusuke Tsukioka1, Atsushi Nemoto1, Raquel Salazar2
1Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, USA.
Insights
This case report details a rare gunshot wound to the heart where the patient remained hemodynamically stable. Successful surgical removal of the bullet from the pericardial cavity offers new insights into managing cardiac trauma.
Area of Science:
- Trauma Surgery
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Ballistics Medicine
Background:
- Gunshot wounds (GSWs) cause significant mortality in the US, with cardiac injuries having a low survival rate.
- Management of GSWs to the heart is complex, often complicated by hemodynamic instability and pericardial effusion.
Observation:
- A unique case of a GSW to the heart is presented where the patient maintained stable hemodynamics.
- The bullet was successfully removed surgically from the pericardial cavity.
- Notably, there was an absence of significant pericardial effusion despite cardiac injury.
Findings:
- Hemodynamic stability can be maintained in select cases of GSW to the heart.
- Surgical intervention is feasible for bullet removal from the pericardial cavity.
- Absence of significant pericardial effusion does not preclude cardiac injury from GSWs.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering bullet retention in the pericardial cavity in GSWs to the heart.
- Findings suggest a need for tailored management strategies based on hemodynamic status and imaging, even without effusion.
- Contributes valuable data to the understanding of survivable cardiac ballistic trauma.
Abstract:
In the United States, approximately 48,000 deaths annually are attributed to gunshot wounds, with a notably low survival rate of 24.5% in cases involving cardiac injury. This case report presents a unique instance of a gunshot wound to the heart, where the patient, despite sustaining cardiac damage, maintained stable hemodynamics and underwent successful surgical removal of the bullet from the pericardial cavity. The absence of significant pericardial effusion and the maintenance of stable hemodynamics in this case provide valuable insights into the management of similar traumatic injuries. This report contributes to the existing knowledge on gunshot wound treatment, highlighting the importance of considering bullet retention in the pericardial cavity, even in the absence of substantial pericardial effusion.
More Related Videos
09:11Cell-based Therapy for Heart Failure in Rat: Double Thoracotomy for Myocardial Infarction and Epicardial Implantation of Cells and Biomatrix
Published on: September 22, 2014
11:07A Murine Model of Myocardial Ischemia-reperfusion Injury through Ligation of the Left Anterior Descending Artery
Published on: April 10, 2014