Cardiac trauma: state-of-art review

Trauma remains a leading global cause of mortality, particularly in the young population. Cardiac damage is a predictor for poor outcome after multiple traumas, with a poor prognosis and prolonged in-hospitalization. Cardiac injury encompasses a spectrum of pathologies ranging from clinically silent, transient arrhythmias to deadly cardiac wall rupture. Of diagnosed cardiac injuries cardiac contusion (blunt cardiac injury) and commotio cordis are most common. Timely diagnosis of this category of victims is a key aspect of successful treatment and emergency care both at the pre-hospital stage and in a specialized medical institution. This narrative review focuses on the main types, etiopathology, as well as classification of cardiac trauma. It explains the main histopathological difference between blunt cardiac injury and myocardial infarction.