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Hemothorax - Overview

Definition of Hemothorax:

Hemothorax is a collection of blood in the space between the chest wall and the lung (the pleural cavity).

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The most common cause of hemothorax is chest trauma. It can also occur in patients who have:

  • A defect of blood clotting
  • Blunt trauma to the chest
  • Death of lung tissue (pulmonary infarction)
  • Lung or pleural cancer
  • Penetrating chest trauma (when a weapon such as a knife or bullet cuts the lung)
  • Placement of a central venous catheter
  • Thoracic or heart surgery
  • Tuberculosis
  • Reviewed last on: 10/10/2008
  • Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Eckstein M, Henderson S. Thoracic trauma. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2006: chap 42.

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