ST-elevation myocardial infarction following road traffic accident in a young patient: a case report

Acute myocardial infarction is a rare complication in the context of road traffic accidents, with an estimated incidence of approximately 13 per 10 000 trauma cases. Only a few reported cases have undergone coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention.

A 30-year-old man was admitted to the trauma unit following blunt chest trauma, limb fractures and pelvic haematoma sustained in a pedestrian road traffic accident. Serial electrocardiogram monitoring revealed new anterolateral ST elevation, with cardiac biomarkers confirming myocardial injury. Following thorough clinical assessment and a multidisciplinary team discussion, the patient was taken for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Coronary angiography demonstrated proximal total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, which was successfully treated with intravascular ultrasound–guided PCI using a drug-eluting stent.

Primary PCI was performed without complication in a patient with anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) secondary to blunt chest trauma, following exclusion of active bleeding. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges and the careful balance required between bleeding risk and timely revascularization in trauma patients presenting with STEMI.