Premium
Haemothorax after attempted intercostal catheterisation
Author(s) -
DANGOISSE M.,
COLLINS S.,
GLYNN C. J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1994.tb04314.x
Subject(s) - medicine , surgery , anesthesia
Summary A 30‐year‐old man with chronic abdominal pain was referred to the Pain Relief Unit after a course of unsuccessful diagnostic blocks and treatments. On admission, history, examination and clinical investigations were consistent with a large pleural effusion due to a recent attempt to catheterise the intercostal space. Pleural drainage confirmed the diagnosis of haemothorax. Percutaneous intercostal nerve blocks are usually considered as safe and simple and no‐one to our knowledge has reported such a complication.