Open AccessDeath of a 23-year-old man from cardiac conduction system injury through a blunt chest impact after a car accident
Author(s) -
Stefania Zerbo,
E Maresi,
Francesca Portelli,
Cettina Sortino,
Elvira Ventura Spagnolo,
Paolo Procaccianti,
Antonella Argo
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
egyptian journal of forensic sciences/egyptian journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.238
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 2090-5939
pISSN - 2090-536X
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejfs.2014.08.003
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiogenic shock , blunt , cardiology , autopsy , atrioventricular node , electrical conduction system of the heart , surgery , myocardial infarction , electrocardiography , tachycardia
Cardiac contusion, usually caused by blunt chest trauma, has been recognized with increased frequency over the past decades. Traffic accidents are the most frequent causes of cardiac contusion resulting from a direct blow to the chest. Myocardial contusion is difficult to diagnose; the clinical presentation varies greatly, ranging from a lack of symptoms to cardiogenic shock and arrhythmia. Although death is rare, cardiac contusion can be fatal.The authors report a case of death due to a cardiac conduction system injury from a blunt chest impact following a car accident. The autopsy showed no external signs of thoracic trauma, no evident rib or sternum fractures. A small sub-endocardial hemorrhage was found in the region of the atrioventricular node. Histological examination revealed an injury of the atrioventricular node and His’ bundle. The cause of the death was attributed to the arrhythmia induced by contusion of the cardiac conduction system