Life-Threatening Delayed Pericardial Tamponade Following Blunt Chest Trauma

Pericardial tamponade, although rare, is a life-threatening complication of trauma. Typically occurring acutely after penetrating injuries, it can also present in a delayed fashion following blunt trauma, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report a rare case of a 33-year-old male who developed delayed pericardial tamponade two weeks after sustaining severe multisystem injuries in a motor vehicle accident. This case emphasizes the need for close monitoring for an extended period of time as delayed complications do occur in severe polytrauma scenarios.