Transitory electrocardiographic abnormalities following blunt cardiac trauma: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Blunt cardiac trauma (BCT) includes a number of diseases ranging from clinically silent arrhythmias to lethal cardiac wall rupture. The most common form is “cardiac contusion”, which is currently under debate. The absence of a clear definition and the lack of diagnostic tests of choice make diagnosing cardiac contusion difficult. We present the case report of a healthy young patient who went to the emergency department with electrocardiogram changes following blunt chest trauma, and review the current literature on the subject.

Keywords

• Blunt cardiac trauma
• Management
• ECG