Cardiac lesions in patients with lethal central nervous system trauma

Abstract

Fifteen men with lethal central nervous system trauma were studied to look for the presence of cardiac lesions. They were between 16 and 60 years of age with an average of 32. There were five gunshot wounds and nine central nervous system contusions; four of these occurred in traffic accidents. The remaining patient was wounded with a machete. AII patients were adequately treated since the beginning of their hospital stay and 14 were surgically managed. Average survival after trauma was 6.6 days. In every case there were ECG alterations, the most frequent being sinusal tachycardia.Creatine phosphokinase levels were high in all and the MB fraction was above normal levels in three patients in whom heart damage was confirmed at autopsy. In 40% of cases heart lesions were found and the most common was subendocardial hemorrhage. In an era of increasing need of organs for transplantation potential donors have to be thoroughly studied to determine if heart lesions have occurred and to decide if they are suitable as transplant organs.