MYOCARDIAL CONTUSION IN BLUNT CHEST TRAUMA - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Various laboratory investigations were assessed with respect to their accuracy in detecting myocardial contusion in patients with blunt chest trauma. All patients, aged between 18 and 50 years, admitted to the intensive care unit for flail chest, sternal fracture, pulmonary contusion, pleural or mediastinal lesion not requiring surgery, were included over a twelve month period. A complete cardiac assessment was carried out, including a physical examination, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, enzyme assay (ALAT, ASAT, LDH, CPK and MB isoenzyme), two-dimensional echocardiography (2D-EC), thallium-201 scintigraphy. Myocardial contusion was diagnosed when an area of drecreased or absent thallium-201 uptake was found in the scintigraphy. These latter results were compared with those obtained with the other investigations. Sixteen patients, mean age 34 years, were included ; two who died before the end of the investigations were excluded. 2D-EC provided the most useful data (pericardial effusions in a third of the cases). The physical examination, enzyme assays, and chest films were of low value. The investigations carried out six months after the initial trauma showed that long term follow-up was not required. All patients were asymptomatic ten months after their trauma. Although the diagnosis of myocardial contusion was made in half the cases using thallium-201 scintigraphy, 2D-EC provided reliable data and had the advantage to be carried out at the patient's bedside.