Page Contents
- 1 WHAT IS IT?
- 2 WHAT CAUSES IT?
- 3 WHY IS IT CONCERNING MEDICALLY?
- 4 WHAT IS THE INTIAL PRESENTATION?
- 5 WHAT ARE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY?
- 6 WHAT ARE IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE PHYSICAL EXAM?
- 7 CLINICAL WORKUP: SERUM STUDIES
- 8 CLINICAL WORKUP: IMAGING
- 9 CLINICAL WORKUP: OTHER
- 10 HOW DO WE NARROW THE DIFFERENTIAL?
- 11 WHAT IS OUR THRESHOLD FOR DIAGNOSING THIS CONDITION?
- 12 PATIENT MANAGEMENT: DISEASE TREATMENT
- 13 COULD THIS HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?
- 14 ARCHIVE OF STANDARDIZED EXAM QUESTIONS
WHAT IS IT?
A hemothorax refers to the collection of blood in the pleural space.
WHAT CAUSES IT?
WHY IS IT CONCERNING MEDICALLY?
WHAT IS THE INTIAL PRESENTATION?
Patient Chief Complaints:
Detected Medical Problems:
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY?
Risk Factors:
Medical History:
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE PHYSICAL EXAM?
Vital Signs:
Respiratory Exam:
- Absent breath sounds over region of hemothorax
- Dullness to percussion over region of hemothroax
CLINICAL WORKUP: SERUM STUDIES
CLINICAL WORKUP: IMAGING
Chest X-Ray: this study can be used to diagnose this condition.
CLINICAL WORKUP: OTHER
HOW DO WE NARROW THE DIFFERENTIAL?
Conditions that present similarly and how to exclude them:
WHAT IS OUR THRESHOLD FOR DIAGNOSING THIS CONDITION?
PATIENT MANAGEMENT: DISEASE TREATMENT
Chest tube: placed at the base of the pleural cavity will help drain the collected blood. Most bleeding from the lung parenchyma will stop on its own (no surgery is needed).
Thoracotomy: only reserved for patients whose bleeding does not stop on its own.
COULD THIS HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?
ARCHIVE OF STANDARDIZED EXAM QUESTIONS
This archive compiles standardized exam questions that relate to this topic.
Page Updated: 03.06.2017