MYOCARDIAL CONTUSION ASSOCIATED WITH FRACTURE OF THE STERNUM. IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE SEAT BELT SYNDROME

Recent legislation has led to increasing numbers of car occupants wearing seat belts and presumably the number of injuries attributable to seat belts will also increase. The commonest such injury is a fracture of the sternum, and blunt myocardial damage is a logical sequel although often unsuspected and therefore unsought. Confirmation is difficult and ecg changes are usually absent or not specific. In three consecutive patients admitted with a fractured sternum we found raised blood levels of ck-mb (creatine kinase-myocardial band) and believe these indicate myocardial contusion. We therefore feel that an isolated fracture of the sternum should be considered a more serious injury than is initially apparent, as these patients are at risk of developing cardiac complications. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00201383
• Corporate Authors:

  Wright (John) and Sons, Limited

  42-44 Triangle West
  Bristol,   England 
• Authors:
  • Hamilton, JRL
  • Dearden, C
  • Rutherford, W H
• Publication Date: 1984-11

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 155-156
• Serial:
  • Injury
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0020-1383
  • EISSN: 1879-0267
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00201383

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bone fractures; Bones; Diseases and medical conditions; Fracture mechanics; Heart; Injuries; Manual safety belts; Thorax
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fracture
• ITRD Terms: 2161: Fracture (bone); 2037: Heart; 2163: Injury; 1476: Safety belt; 2083: Thorax
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00393599
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-039 065
• Files: HSL, ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1985 12:00AM