An accumulation of blood inside the chest cavity, usually from trauma or injury to the lungs or blood vessels.
From Greek haima (blood) + thorax (chest). This medical term entered English in the 19th century as trauma surgeons needed precise terminology for battlefield and accident injuries.
Hematothorax is one of those emergency room conditions where doctors have to act fast—blood in the chest cavity can collapse a lung and stop someone from breathing. Understanding this condition has saved countless lives in emergency medicine!
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