In Reply to: pleural effusions thread .. posted by Joe on July 12, 2008 at 01:45:38:
Here, hemothorax (haemothorax) is a condition that results from blood accumulating in the pleural cavity. [ air being caught in this space is called a air (pneumothorax) ] Its cause is usually traumatic, from a blunt or penetrating injury to the thorax, resulting in a rupture of either of the serous membrane lining the thorax and covering the lungs. This rupture allows blood to spill into the pleural space, equalizing the pressures between it and the lungs. Blood loss may be massive in people with these conditions, as each side of the thorax can hold 30%-40% of a person's blood volume.
A hemothorax is managed by removing the source of bleeding and by draining the blood already in the thoracic cavity. Blood in the cavity can be removed by inserting a drain (chest tube) in a procedure called a tube thoracostomy.