Tyson G Hart, Anderson Curtis A, Rodriguez Evelio, Kypson Alan P
Department of Surgery, The Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2010 Feb;18(1):71-3. doi: 10.1177/0218492309354219.
Hemothorax after blunt trauma results from injury to intrathoracic structures or the chest wall. Tube thoracostomy is the most common mode of treatment; depending on the type of injury, it is frequently the only intervention required. Rarely, blunt cardiac injury can produce hemothorax if a communication exists between the pericardium and pleural space. We describe such a case that highlights the importance of a broad differential diagnosis when treating acutely injured patients.
