Penetrating cardiac trauma: A plea for a multi-disciplinary team approach

After head trauma, thoracic trauma is the most common cause of trauma-related death. Although only a fraction of thoracic trauma cases require operative exploration, these have high mortality risk. We advocate a multi-disciplinary approach to these complex patients, with early consideration of formal cardiothoracic surgical involvement. Some argue that many of the most severe penetrating cardiac injuries will not survive to hospital presentation and of those that survive, clearly a multi-disciplinary approach to each patient's unique problem is justified. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Patient care, professionalism, interpersonal and communication skills, systems-based practice.