Successful management of penetrating cardiac injury in a limited resource setting without cardiac surgical instruments and heart-lung machine

Abstract

Penetrating cardiac injuries (PCI) are often fatal and do not present enough time for effective referrals to higher centers. Most deaths occur in transit from a remote healthcare setting with limited resources. I present the first reported case of PCI in the medical literature to be managed successfully in the absence of heart-lung machine as well as dedicated cardiac surgical instruments and equipment, and which was further complicated by mediastinitis.