[Diagnosis of heart contusions].
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Heart contusion is a severe injury for the diagnosis of which there still doesn't exist a uniform procedure. The aim of the work was to compare individual methods and provide opinion on the justification of their use. MATERIAL: In the period of 1998-2000 at the authors' departments 103 patient were hospitalised with a severe contusion of the chest. These patients were admitted at the department within 24 hours after the injury. METHODS: The diagnosis was based on the examination of the ratio of CKMB/CK serum levels, cTnl serum level, ECG examination and echocardiography. RESULTS: Heart contusion was diagnosed in 18 patients of the group of 103. The most precise diagnostic method proved to be the determination of the serum level of troponin I (success rate 86%) and echocardiographic examination (succes rate 67%). CONCLUSIONS: Examination of cTnl serum level and echocardiography are the best methods for the determination of the diagnosis of heart contusion. Simultaneous application of these two methods is the most reliable diagnostic procedure. Examination of CK and CKMB serum levels produces often falsely positive results and it is not a contribution to the determination of the diagnosis of heat contusion.