What question did this study set out to answer?

To report a rare case of a patient needing mechanical aortic valve replacement following self-inflicted needle injury and assess the implications for anticoagulation management.

June 12, 2026Journal of Clinical MedicineOpen Access

Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement Following Self-Inflicted Cardiac Needle Penetration in a Patient with Recurrent Self-Harm: A Case Report with Fatal Long-Term Outcome

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Population

1 patient with post-traumatic stress disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder, borderline…

Design

Case_report

Follow-up

More than six years

Authors

MBMartin Breitwieser PKPhilipp Krombholz-ReindlParacelsus Medical University GHGeorg Hattwich

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Alerts clinicians to possible cardiac penetration in self-harm patients with new dyspnea; leaves open questions on prevention and management.

Key Points

To report a rare case of a patient needing mechanical aortic valve replacement following self-inflicted needle injury and assess the implications for anticoagulation management.
Detailed case presentation of a 24-year-old female with self-harm history
Emergency sternotomy performed to address needle-related complications
Mechanical aortic valve replacement conducted after failed reconstruction attempts
Patient initially survived but suffered from recurrent anticoagulation non-adherence
Presented with cardiogenic shock and prosthetic valve thrombosis six years post-surgery
Despite emergency interventions, patient succumbed to refractory left ventricular failure

Structured PICO

Population

1 patient (24-year-old female) with post-traumatic stress disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder, borderline type, presenting with dyspnea after self-inserting multiple needles into her thorax.

Intervention

Mechanical aortic valve replacement

Outcome

Long-term outcome (survival)hard clinical

This case highlights the critical challenges of managing severe psychiatric patients requiring mechanical valve prostheses, suggesting bioprosthetic valves may be preferable when long-term anticoagulation adherence is a major concern.

Cite This Study

Breitwieser et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2bd1386550ea4541ffe92c https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15124544

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Implication

Alerts clinicians to possible cardiac penetration in self-harm patients with new dyspnea; leaves open questions on prevention and management.

Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement Following Self-Inflicted Cardiac Needle Penetration in a Patient with Recurrent Self-Harm: A Case Report with Fatal Long-Term Outcome

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement Following Self-Inflicted Cardiac Needle Penetration in a Patient with Recurrent Self-Harm: A Case Report with Fatal Long-Term Outcome

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Structured PICO

Cite This Study

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