Acute Myocardial Infarction Due to Knife Injury – A Case Report

Abstract

Acute Myocardial Infarction is usually a sequela of atherosclerotic process but can result from some rare causes as well. Trauma to the chest wall either blunt or penetrating can cause such a mishap. Case of a young man is described who sustained STEMI due to severing of Left anterior descending coronary artery by a penetrating knife injury, stabbed on the left side of the chest during a scuffle with bandits. Being resident of a remote area of a very poor neighboring country, the victim couldn’t get the medical care needed and after wandering in various hospitals he reported at my clinic in congestive heart failure. Previous record showed antero-apical wall MI with Pericardial effusion. Thorough workup for elaboration of all the injuries and complications was instituted and the patient was discharged in NYHA functional class I.