[Evaluation and treatment of cardiac injuries].

Cardiac injuries caused by a heart traumatism are not frequent but, of great importance given their high morbidity. Two different groups in terms of etiology, clinical picture, application of diagnostic techniques, treatment and prognosis can be considered. On one hand, there are cardiac injuries caused by a thoracal contusion, which provokes a contused lesion can affect the free wall, the interventricular septum, the valves, the subvalvular apparatus, the conduction system and the coronary vessels and, on the other hand, cardiac injuries caused by penetrating objects. Cardiac injury can lead to a life-threatening hemodynamic instability which mandates prompt and clear diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.