Which chest injury is associated with blunt trauma from violent compressions of the chest and can involve myocardial damage?

• A. Sucking chest wound
• B. Cardiac contusion
• C. Traumatic asphyxia
• D. Commotio cordis

Answer: (B)

Cardiac contusion results from blunt chest trauma where a violent chest compression bruises the heart muscle. The force can injure the myocardium and, if the conduction system is affected, provoke arrhythmias or reduce the heart’s pumping ability, which is why this option best fits a chest injury from blunt compression that can involve myocardial damage.

The other injuries are distinct: a sucking chest wound is an open penetrating injury with air entering the chest cavity; traumatic asphyxia results from severe chest/upper body compression causing a surge in venous pressure and facial bruising without direct heart muscle injury; commotio cordis is a sudden fatal arrhythmia after a blunt chest impact during a specific moment of the cardiac cycle, often without a bruised heart.