Injuries of the heart

The authors had 53 patients with heart injuries under observation; 52 patients were operated on for vital indications. The heart wound was sutured, the concomitant injuries to other organs were removed, and the pericardial and pleural cavities were drained. Air-tightness of the injured heart muscle was attained in all cases. Seven of the patients who were operated on died. One patient who did not undergo operation died suddenly in complete well-being from acute cardiac tamponade 2 days after injury to the chest inflicted with a pin-like object. The authors emphasize the importance of organizational measures promoting earliest performance of the operation.