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Massive haemothorax after penetrating trauma

HIGH-YIELD Appears 1×
Teaching point

Immediate chest-tube output >=1500 mL (or ongoing >200 mL/h) in a hypotensive penetrating-trauma patient is a massive haemothorax requiring urgent thoracotomy; do not delay for imaging (FAST/CT) in a profoundly hypotensive, actively bleeding patient.

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