Biochemical markers could improve diagnosis of hidden heart injuries after chest trauma

Researchers are exploring a new generation of biochemical markers that may help clinicians detect myocardial contusion, a frequently overlooked form of heart injury caused by blunt chest trauma, earlier and more accurately. The review, published in the European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, highlights the diagnostic potential of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), including HMGB1 protein and circulating histones, which are released during post-traumatic inflammation.