PRECISELY LOCATED 0.5 CM LESION IN THE LEFT VENTRICLE OF A VICTIM OF SUICIDE BY TABLE KNIFE: CASE REPORT

Abstract

Between 2010 and 2019, there were 112,230 deaths by suicide in Brazil, with a 43% increase in the annual number of deaths, from 9,454 in 2010 to 13,523 in 2019 (1). In this paper, a case of a victim of self-harm by a sharp instrument will be reported, which caused cardiac tamponade and evolved to death, on the spot, with cause of death: cardiogenic shock. Reviewing the cadaveric report, obtained at the Instituto Médico Legal de Sergipe, in order to understand the mechanism of the cardiac trauma and its severity, which caused 600ml of hemorrhagic contente to fill in the pericardium. What draws attention would be the precision of the wound, as it is a self-inflicted injury, with ruptures of several anatomical physical barriers, reaching the heart with a 0.5 cm lesion, in the left ventricle, with a single blow and a malleable object, a table serrated knife, with characteristics of low resistance and low piercing power, when compared to other sharp instruments of greater lethality. There is a high prevalence in victims of penetrating cardiac injury who die before receiving advanced life support. Among those who arrive at the hospital, a small part may be hemodynamically stable and without clinical signs suggestive of cardiac injury. Exsanguination is responsible for most deaths from cardiac trauma and cardiac tamponade was present in second place. Keywords: Cardiogenic shock, cardiac tamponade, sharp injury, pericardium.