Is there a role for secondary thoracic ultrasound in patients with penetrating injuries to the anterior mediastinum?

Abstract

Pericardial tamponade (PT) after penetrating thoracic injury can be lethal if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Most patients present with PT shortly after their injuries occur, but delayed presentation of PT (delayed pericardial tamponade [DPT]) has occurred as late as 73 days after initial injury. Initial evaluation of patients with an anterior mediastinal penetrating injury includes physical examination, chest x-ray, and echocardiography. CT scans of the chest can clarify the tracts of penetrating injuries in stable patients. With increased accessibility to these radiographic modalities, PT has been diagnosed in a more timely fashion, and the incidence of DPT has decreased. However, the absence of pericardial effusions on all of these studies at initial presentation does not clear the patient from risk for developing DPT.