A CASE OF MASSIVE HEMOTHORAX TREATED BY THORACOTOMY WITH PULMONARY ARTERY BALLOON OCCLUSION

Abstract

　　A female in her 60s was brought to our emergency department after falling from 11 stories. Contrast CT performed upon arrival to the emergency department revealed hemorrhage from the left lung. We inserted a pulmonary artery balloon into the left pulmonary artery and thoracotomy was performed with pulmonary artery balloon occlusion. Hemorrhage from the left lung was controlled while the pulmonary artery balloon was inflated, and thoracotomy was performed in an operative field with good visualization. For massive hemothorax, adjusting the level of inflation of the pulmonary artery balloon may be useful to resuscitate the patient and to control hemorrhage.