BACKGROUND: @entity1 with penetrating @entity299 have a high mortality. The utilization of sonography in these @entity1 may lead to earlier diagnosis and definitive surgical intervention. METHODS: A retrospective review of all @entity1 admitted to a level I @entity130 center were examined from March 1996 to March 2001 (17,241 @entity1 ). @entity1 were identified with penetrating @entity764 and were evaluated for mechanism of injury, sonographic findings (subxiphoid and parasternal windows), injury severity score, length of stay, and mortality. Surgeons performed all sonography. RESULTS: There were 478 @entity1 who underwent sonography for penetrating @entity764 . Twenty-three @entity1 were identified with positive sonographic findings. Subsequently 20 @entity1 had a @entity299 at surgery. There were no missed injuries. The 3 @entity1 with false positive findings had @entity712 (2 @entity1 ) and morbid @entity28 (1 @entity1 ). Mean time to operation was 13 minutes. Mean injury severity score was 33. Mean intensive care unit and hospital stay was 3.1 days and 7.2 days respectively. Sonography had a specificity of 99.3% and sensitivity of 100% for identifying penetrating @entity299 and a positive predictive value of 87% and negative predictive value of 100%. There were no hospital deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis and management using surgeon performed sonography may reduce the high mortality associated with penetrating @entity299 .

Successful diagnosis of penetrating XXXX using surgeon-performed sonography.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity712 :: ('MESH:D006333', 'Disease') :: ['congestive heart failure'] @entity28 :: ('MESH:D009765', 'Disease') :: ['obesity'] @entity764 :: ('MESH:D013898', 'Disease') :: ['thoracic injuries'] @entity299 :: ('MESH:D006331', 'Disease') :: ['cardiac injury', 'cardiac injuries'] @entity130 :: ('MESH:D014947', 'Disease') :: ['trauma']
@entity299 :: (MESH:D006331,Disease) :: ['cardiac injury']
