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Dr. Kim Mulvihill reportingThe victim of Vice President Dick Cheney's accidental hunting accident, Harry Whittington, is in stable condition today. He suffered a mild heart attack yesterday, when a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart.
Doctors expect Whittington to recover, but are keeping a close eye on him to make sure more metal pellets don't reach other vital organs.
The bird shot did more than just cause a heart attack
The bird shot did two things: Not only did it cause the Texas lawyer's heart attack, but it also triggered an electrical short circuit in the heart, a common abnormal rhythm called a-fib.
Dr. David Blanchard, Corpus Christi Hospital: "You'll see the peppering, the metallic bird shot shows up like a sore thumb and yes those show up very well on x-ray "
Early Monday morning, the 78 year old accidental shooting victim experienced an unusual complication.
Peter Bankgo, Corpus Christi Hospital Administrator: "To have bird shot lodge in the heart is an extremely rare occurrence
A five millimeter piece of shot had traveled into the lawyer's chest cavity.
Typically the body would recognize it as a foreign object, and in a few days, form scar tissue around it, stopping it in its tracks. But some time Monday morning - the shot migrated, either touching or penetrating Mr. Whittington's heart. That caused his heart to go into atrial fibrillation.. or to beat irregularly.
E.R. Doc Kurt Bernhisel has treated bird shot wounds, but none like this.
Dr. Kurt Bernhisel, University of Utah: "We have seen come bad ones that get into the vascular system but I haven't heard one of traveling to the heart and causing a-fib."
Dr. Sheldon Litwan, Cardiologist, University of Utah: "Atrial fibrillation is an extremely common condition."
Cardiologist doctor Sheldon Litwan says atrial fibrillation can be treated medically.
Dr. Sheldon Litwan, Cardiologist, University of Utah: "One way is to use medications to slow the heart rate and when we do that we use anticogualunts to thin the blood as well so blood clots don't form in the heart."
If it's not treated, the condition can creates other medical problems.
As for that one piece of shot, doctors need to keep an close eye on it. it can still move.
"The possibility that it can still migrate and cause further damage in the heart or cause erosion in a blood vessel and start bleeding can be a concern."
As to why doctor's won't surgically remove the bird shot? At this point, doctors believe that would be riskier than leaving it in.
