Traumatismo cardíaco penetrante en pediatría: presentación de caso, Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral (HIRRC), República Dominicana

Introduction: Cardiac trauma is a rare condition in pediatrics, occurring in less than 5 % of thoracic trauma. It affects the ventricles more often than the atria. Depending on the mechanism of injury, it may be classified as closed (such as blunt chest traumas) or penetrating (such as wounds with a knife or guns). The following document has the intention to describe the clinical presentation and management of a pediatric patient with a penetrating cardiac trauma, and it was intended to conduct a literature review on other cases of penetrating cardiac trauma. Case presentation: We present the clinical case of a 14-year-old male, who is referred to the center with history of a knife wound in the left precordial region. He is received with hemodynamic instability and hypodynamic left hemithorax, and, after performing imaging and laboratory studies, it was decided to perform thoracentesis. In the presence of evident clinical deterioration, it was decided to perform surgical exploration, where laceration of the left ventricle and pericardial hematoma is evidenced, for which drainage of hematoma and left ventricle cardiorrhaphy were performed. Conclusion: After describing the presentation and management of our patient, we conclude that clinical suspicion and early diagnosis and management are essential to improve the prognosis of these injuries. Likewise, we recognize the pertinence of early surgical exploration in cases of hemodynamic instability, avoiding the delay of a timely treatment.