Stab wounds to the pericardium and heart: an analysis of 85 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVE

To audit all stab wounds of the pericardium and heart treated by a policy of immediate exploration over a period of 17 years, and identify any factors predictive of outcome.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Urban referral centre.

SUBJECTS

85 consecutive patients with stab wounds of pericardium and heart.

INTERVENTIONS

Immediate exploration.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mortality and morbidity.

RESULTS

Eleven patients died (13%), 10 of them on the operating table. No powerful predictor of outcome was identified, but measurable blood pressure on admission (p = 0.04) and a low cardiac trauma index score (p = 0.07) seemed to be associated with survival.

CONCLUSION

Some unrecordable factors--for example, the skill of the team on duty--may have had a considerable influence on outcome.