Cardiac Tamponade Associated with Blunt Cardiac Injury: Its Definitive Management in the Emergency Department

Cardiac tamponade secondary to blunt cardiac injury is an extremely serious and life-threatening condition that the emergency physician is required to make definitive and appropriate management and resuscitation. Although blunt cardiac injury includes a wide spectrum of pathological conditions, cardiac tamponade due to blunt trauma is rarely seen because most of the patients with cardiac rupture die at the scene or before arrival at the hospital. Definitive surgical repair is commonly necessary following pericardial decompression if the patient is too unstable with impending cardiac arrest. Bringing the patient to definitive surgery as soon as possible is crucial for the chance of survival to the emergency physician. We describe two cases of cardiac tamponade resulting from blunt chest trauma successfully treated with a definitive management and surgical repair.