SURVIVAL AFTER LEFT-VENTRICULAR RUPTURE FOLLOWING BLUNT CHEST INJURY

Blunt traumatic rupture of the left ventricle of the heart is rarely d iagnosed preoperatively and is usually fatal, with only a few survivor s reported in the literature. This report describes a case of a 54-yea r-old women who survived a left ventricular rupture from a motor vehic le accident, Her cardiac injury was not suspected because she was not hypotensive and had no signs of pericardial tamponade. She developed c irculatory arrest 2 hours after her injury, during induction of anesth esia. (Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company)