Case Report: Self-limiting penetrating cardiothoracic injury from a barbed shark dart involving the right atrium - Takeaways - MDSpire

Case Report: Self-limiting penetrating cardiothoracic injury from a barbed shark dart involving the right atrium

  • By

  • Xiong Tan

  • Weikai Dong

  • Yong Liu

  • Yinglong Lai

  • Jinjie Li

  • June 3, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    A 54-year-old male sustained a penetrating cardiac injury from a barbed shark dart, leading to pericardial effusion and signs of tamponade.

  • 2

    The barbed structure of the dart prevented further migration, averting catastrophic bleeding from the right atrium.

  • 3

    Emergency median sternotomy and repair of the atrial puncture were performed, along with wedge resection of the injured lung.

  • 4

    The patient recovered uneventfully and remained asymptomatic at 1-year follow-up, highlighting the importance of surgical intervention.

  • 5

    This case illustrates how the physical characteristics of penetrating objects can influence injury patterns and outcomes in trauma.

Original Source(s)

Case Report: Self-limiting penetrating cardiothoracic injury from a barbed shark dart involving the right atrium

  • by Xiong Tan, Weikai Dong, Yong Liu, Yinglong Lai, Jinjie Li

  • June 3, 2026

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