Hemothorax

What is hemothorax?

Hemothorax is the presence of blood in the pleural cavity, i.e. between the chest wall and the lung. The most common cause is chest trauma. For treatment, the patient must first be stabilized and then the bleeding is stopped and the blood and air are removed from the pleural space.

Prognosis of the disease

The prognosis of hemothorax may depend on the cause of the disease, in other words, how much blood is lost and how quickly treatment is started. In cases where the trauma is more severe, the prognosis will depend on the injury and the amount of bleeding.

X-ray of a patient with hemothorax

Symptoms of hemothorax

The symptoms of hemothorax can be very varied and among them the patient may suffer from:

  • Anxiety
  • Chest pain
  • Low blood pressure
  • Pale, cool, clammy skin
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Rapid, shallow breathing
  • Restlessness
  • Shortness of breath

Medical tests for hemothorax

The specialist can check through a physical examination for a decrease or disappearance of breath sounds on the affected side. Signs or indications that the patient has a hemothorax can be seen through the following tests:

  • Chest X-ray
  • CT scan
  • Pleural fluid analysis (sometimes with a lot of blood or bloodstained fluid)
  • Thoracentesis (a test that involves draining the pleural fluid through a tube or needle).

What are the causes of hemothorax?

The main cause of hemothorax is usually a blow to the chest. However, the occurrence of this disease can occur in patients suffering from:

  • A defect in blood clotting.
  • chest (thoracic) or heart surgery
  • Death of lung tissue (pulmonary infarction)
  • Lung or pleural cancer
  • Rupture in a blood vessel after placement of a central venous catheter, or when associated with severe high blood pressure
  • Tuberculosis
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Is it preventable?

The existence of various causes makes its prevention difficult, since in some of them it is very difficult to prevent hemothorax. However, on some occasions it can be prevented, for example, when traveling by car, the use of seat belts can avoid suffering a blow to the chest, one of the causes of hemothorax.

Treatments for hemothorax

The main goal of treatment is to stabilize the person, stop blood loss and remove blood and air from the pleural space. This can be achieved in the following ways:

  • A chest tube is inserted through the chest wall between the patient’s ribs in order to drain the blood and air.
  • The tube remains in the patient and is subject to suction for days to re-expand the lung.

In cases where a tube cannot control the bleeding, the patient will need surgery (thoracotomy) to stop the bleeding. On the other hand, treatment for the cause of the hemothorax is also necessary. The underlying lung may be collapsed. This can lead to severe respiratory distress.

In people who have suffered an injury, they will only require drainage through a chest tube. Finally, surgery should be assessed in each patient and may not always be necessary.

Which specialist treats it?

The thoracic surgeon is the specialist who treats hemothorax. At Top Doctors we have the best medical team that adapts to the needs of patients according to their preferences. Through the web, the patient will be able to book appointments, call and consult the fees of each doctor.