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Cardiac Trauma

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Diagnostic Imaging in Polytrauma Patients

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Abstract

Mild cardiac trauma currently remains unnoticed, while more severe cases can lead to death. Cardiac trauma should always be investigated and excluded. Hemopericardium or pericardial effusion can be suspected with an antero-posterior chest X-ray than confirmed with computed tomography (CT). Moreover, CT can show pneumo pericardium or vascular damage in patients with polytrauma. A cardiac CT with gating could be necessary in case of suspected aortic root or coronary injuries. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in stable patients can provide further additional information. ECG and cardiac biomarkers are noninvasive useful tools for screening. Patients with myocardial contusion causing conduction abnormalities require cardiac monitoring for 24 h due to the risk for sudden major arrhythmias.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Silvia Pradella, Marta Brandani, Giulia Grazzini, Mario Moroni, Manlio Acquafresca & Vittorio Miele

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  1. Silvia Pradella
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  2. Marta Brandani
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  3. Giulia Grazzini
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  4. Mario Moroni
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  5. Manlio Acquafresca
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  6. Vittorio Miele
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Correspondence to Silvia Pradella .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Vittorio Miele

  2. Dept of Emergency Radiology, S. Camillo Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Margherita Trinci

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Pradella, S., Brandani, M., Grazzini, G., Moroni, M., Acquafresca, M., Miele, V. (2018). Cardiac Trauma. In: Miele, V., Trinci, M. (eds) Diagnostic Imaging in Polytrauma Patients. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62054-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62054-1_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62053-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62054-1

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