Citation

Brown KR, Carter W, Lombardi GE. Ann. Emerg. Med. 1991; 20(8): 905-907.

Affiliation

Department of Ambulatory Care, Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, New York 10461.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, American College of Emergency Physicians, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1854077

Abstract

A 54-year-old man with an artificial pacemaker sustained blunt trauma to his chest when he was struck with a baseball bat. Within 15 minutes after the injury, the patient experienced cardiovascular collapse. His pacemaker failed, and he required insertion of a temporary transvenous pacemaker. At surgery, the defect was traced to failure of the pulse generator, a rare cause of pacemaker failure. Emergency department evaluation should include prompt and continuous ECG monitoring, an overpenetrated chest radiograph, and telemetry evaluation after discharge.

Language: en