Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia
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Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Aug 2002
Case ReportsSuccessful emergency repair of blunt right atrial rupture after a traffic accident.
A 53-year-old man crashed his motorcycle into a vehicle and was transported to our hospital by ambulance after about 30 min. Echocardiography revealed cardiac tamponade. ⋯ Patients with cardiac rupture who reach hospital alive can be saved by rapid transport, early detection, and early surgery. In particular, rapid echocardiography and pericardiocentesis via the subxiphoid approach under ultrasonic guidance are easy and helpful methods of making a diagnosis and achieving hemodynamic improvement prior to surgical intervention.