[3] When a myocardial contusion is suspected, consideration must be given to any other chest injuries, which will likely be determined by clinical signs, tests, and imaging.
[3] It is recommended that people with blunt chest trauma receive an electrocardiogram to determine if there are any irregularities with cardiac function.
Motor vehicle collisions are implicated in most causes of BCI as significant deceleration can result in the heart tearing from its attachments to surrounding structures.
[4][5] Possible mechanisms for BCI include direct, indirect, bidirectional, deceleration, blast, crush, concussive, or combined.
Deceleration injuries occur when the heart is forcibly torn from its attachments, thereby leading to tears of the muscle and arteries.
Common electrical disturbances include premature ventricular contraction and transient bundle branch blocks.
It is important for the clinician to monitor the patient’s EKG and conduct a thorough cardiovascular exam to evaluate for murmurs and abnormal heart sounds in these cases.
[4] Common physical exam findings include tachypnea, abnormal lung sounds, tenderness to palpation of the chest wall, bruising, and fractures.