Toracotomía en el departamento de urgencias en una paciente con actividad eléctrica sin pulso no traumática: potencial ampliación del horizonte terapéutico de una intervención de alta especialidad

Abstract

Instituted under objective recommendations, Emergency Department Thoracotomy (EDT) has been described as a life-saving surgical maneuver in trauma patients arriving “in extremis.” Nevertheless, there are few reports related to the experience regarding the use of the procedure in non-traumatic cardiopulmonary arrest. We describe the case of an obstetric patient exsanguinated by operative massive bleeding, where EDT was instituted reaching an optimal result for the survival and neurologic function. Additionally, we evaluate the literature related to this issue, which to the best of our knowledge, is critical to expand protocols of approach in non-traumatic cardiac arrest rhythm in high-volume hospitals.