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acute

Haemothorax

A hemothorax is an accumulation of blood within the . The symptoms of a hemothorax may include chest pain and difficulty breathing, while the signs may include reduced breath sounds on the affected side and a rapid heart rate. Hemothoraces are usually caused by an injury, but they may occur spontaneously due to cancer invading the pleural cavity, as a result of a blood clotting disorder, as an unusual manifestation of , in response to , or rarely in association with other conditions.

Underlined words are explained — tap any of them.

Symptoms — what it feels like

  • ·Chest pain
  • ·Difficulty breathing

Causes — why it happens

  • ·
  • ·Cancer
  • ·

How it's found

  • ·Chest X-ray
  • ·
  • ·CT scan
  • ·MRI
  • ·

Prevention

  • ·
  • ·Fibrinolytic therapy

Treatment

  • ·Tube thoracostomy
  • ·
  • ·Fibrinolytic therapy

Complications

  • ·Empyema
  • ·Fibrothorax

Outlook

  • ·Favorable with treatment
Plain-language summary adapted from Wikipedia. Not medical advice.