Rosh Emergency Medicine Practice Test 2025 - Free Emergency Medicine Practice Questions and Study Guide

The most common cause of traumatic cardiac arrest is pericardial tamponade. This condition occurs when fluid accumulates in the pericardial space, leading to increased pressure on the heart and preventing it from filling properly during diastole. In traumatic settings, particularly with penetrating injuries to the chest, blood can rapidly collect in the pericardial sac, causing cardiac compression.

This immediate pressure can result in a decreased cardiac output and sudden cardiac arrest, making it a critical condition that requires prompt recognition and intervention, typically through pericardiocentesis or surgical intervention to relieve the pressure.

Myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and aortic dissection are also serious conditions that can lead to cardiac arrest, but pericardial tamponade stands out as a more frequent direct consequence of traumatic injuries, specifically in the emergency medicine context where rapid assessment and treatment are crucial.