OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the forms of treatment employed to heart injuries and the main aspects related to their morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A retrospective study of 102 patients with cardiac injuries treated in the two emergency rooms in Manaus (Dr. John Lucio Pereira Machado Emergency Hospital and August 28 County Emergency Hospital) from January 1998 to June 2006. RESULTS: Of the 102 patients, 95.1% were men; mean age was 27 years; stab wounds accounted for 81.4% of cases and gunshot wounds for 18.6%; cardiorrhaphy was performed in 98.1% of cases. The heart chambers affected were: Right Ventricle (RV): 43.9% (36.2% isolated and 7.7% associated with other chambers); Left Ventricle (LV): 37.2%; Right Atrium (RA): 8.5%; and Left Atrium (LA): 10.4%; specific mortalities were of 21%, 23%, 22% and 45%, respectively. The mortality injuries to two associated chambers was 37.5%, 20% being for RA + RV, 100% for RV + LV, and zero for RV + LA. The lung accounted for 33.7% of the 89 associated lesions. Mean time of surgery and hospital stay were 121 minutes and 8.2 days, respectively. About 22.5% of patients displayed 41 complications. The mortality rate was 28.4%. Lesions grade IV and V corresponded to 55% and 41% of cases, with specific mortality of 26% and 15%, respectively. All patients with grade injuries VI died. CONCLUSION: Cardiac stab wounds were associated with lower mortality, cardiac lesions grade IV were associated with higher mortality and a shorter operative time was associated with greater severity and mortality.
Mortality; Wounds, penetrating; Heart injuries; Emergencies; Patients
