PREDICTORS OF MORTALITY IN PENETRATING CARDIAC INJURY

Forty-eight cases of penetrating cardiac trauma seen at the Medical Un iversity of South Carolina between 1979 and the present were reviewed retrospectively. Age, race, sex, Champion trauma score, cardiac chambe r injured, associated injuries, weapon, circumstances, and means of tr ansport were recorded and analyzed to define predictors of mortality. Overall mortality was 56 per cent. The median trauma score of survivor s was significantly higher than the median trauma score of nonsurvivor s, P = 0.0001. The median age of survivors was significantly lower tha n the median age of nonsurvivors, P = 0.046. Sex, race, the chamber in jured, weapon, circumstances, and mode of transport were not significa ntly different between survivors and nonsurvivors. Survival did not ch ange significantly during the study period. Mortality compares favorab ly with that of other series.