A Rent in the Left Ventricle: A Sea-Saw Between Life and Death

Abstract

Penetrating injuries to the precordium are life-threatening and require early detection and immediate intervention. We present a case of penetrating cardiac injury who presented with a definitive airway and hemodynamically unstable. During the primary survey, the patient had a cardiac arrest with pulseless ventricular tachycardia. The patient was resuscitated as per advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and advanced trauma life support (ATLS) guidelines with manual digital compression at the penetrating site leading to a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). After ROSC, he was shifted for emergency explorative median sternotomy. During the sternotomy, we found a clotted rent in the anterior wall of the left ventricle, which was repaired. Aggressive resuscitation and appropriate management strategy in the emergency department (ED) resulted in a successful outcome, and he was discharged after 10 days of hospital stay. Our case highlights the importance of early diagnosing and managing penetrating cardiac trauma.