%0 Case Reports
%T Delayed hemothorax following blunt thoracic trauma: a case report.
%A Álvarez-Ortega AC
%A Aranda-Hoyos A
%A Posso-Nuñez JA
%A García-González CA
%A Puyana JC
%A Sánchez-Ortiz ÁI
%A Velásquez-Galvis M
%J J Cardiothorac Surg
%V 19
%N 1
%D 2024 Jun 27
%M 38937751
%F 1.522
%R 10.1186/s13019-024-02914-5
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Late hemothorax is a rare complication of blunt chest trauma. The longest reported time interval between the traumatic event and the development of hemothorax is 44 days.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>An elderly patient with right-sided rib fractures from chest trauma, managed initially with closed thoracostomy, presented with a delayed hemothorax that occurred 60 days after initial management, necessitating conservative and then surgical intervention due to the patient's frail condition and associated complications.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>This case emphasizes the clinical challenge and significance of delayed hemothorax in chest trauma, highlighting the need for vigilance and potential surgical correction in complex presentations, especially in the elderly.