HighlightsNail gun injuries to the heart are potentially fatal and difficult to recognize.Timely recognition and definitive repair of the injury is essential for patient survival.Pericardiocentesis using a catheter capable of repeated and/or sustained aspiration/drainage can be a temporizing life-saving measure allowing for definitive repair in a controlled setting.Pericardiocentesis must be considered as a bridge to definitive therapy in select cases of penetrating cardiac injury, particularly in rural settings with limited surgeon availability.

No abstract

No abstract