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Case Report

Open Access

Asymptomatic pneumopericardium after blunt chest trauma 

  • DUBRAVKA BARTOLEK HAMP1
  • SREĆKO LJUBIČIĆ1
  • INGRID PRKAČIN2
  • GORDANA CAVRIĆ2

1Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Unit, General Hospital Dubrovnik

2Department of Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Unit, Clinic Hospital Mercur Zagreb, Croatia

DOI: 10.22514/SV101.062015.23 Vol.10,Issue S1,June 2015 pp.77-78

Published: 22 June 2015

*Corresponding Author(s): DUBRAVKA BARTOLEK HAMP E-mail: dbartolekh@gmail.com

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Abstract

A 49-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room after a fall from a height of 4 m. He was conscious with intact neu-rological status and stabile vital function. Blunt chest trauma was presented with left side rib fractures (3-6), ipsilateral lung base contusion, pneumo-liqidothorax, pneu-momediastinum and subcutaneus emphy-sema. A computed tomographic scan also confirmed pneumopericardium. Negative Hamman’s sign were presented. Although the patient had no symptoms, the presence of pneumopericardium might be a sign of severe injury and indicates the poten-tial risk of cardiac tamponade and a life-threatening condition. In the presence of pneumopericardium, cardiac tamponade could be triggered secondary by mechani-cal ventilation support. In our case report, we would like to stress the importance of early diagnostic of asympthomatic pneu-mopericardium after blunt chest trauma, which may be decisive in choosing the op-timal therapeutic procedure. 

Keywords

Pneumopericardium; Tension pneumopericardium; Blunt trauma; Pneu-momediastinum

Cite and Share

DUBRAVKA BARTOLEK HAMP,SREĆKO LJUBIČIĆ,INGRID PRKAČIN,GORDANA CAVRIĆ. Asymptomatic pneumopericardium after blunt chest trauma . Signa Vitae. 2015. 10(S1);77-78.

URL:

https://www.signavitae.com/articles/10.22514/SV101.062015.23

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