[Heart massage. Liver rupture and thrombolysis]

Complications to external cardiac massage with special regard to liver damage are shortly reviewed. A case story, in which a young healthy woman suffered rupture of the liver followed by hypovolaemic shock after a few minutes of cardiac massage and subsequent thrombolysis, is presented. It is discussed whether the common use of thrombolytic treatment will cause more cases of clinically important haemorrhage after external cardiac massage.