Monday, August 25, 2025

On Hemorrhagic Pericardial & Pleural Effusion

Q: Why does blood in pleural and pericardial fluids not clot?

Answer:  Hemorrhage within the pleural and pericardial space generally does not clot due to 3 reasons.
  • mechanical defibrination (movement of lungs and heart)
  • activation of fibrinolytic mechanisms
  • Also, platelets disappear within hours following hemorrhage

#hematology


References: 

1. Willner DA, Shams P, Grossman SA. Pericardiocentesis. [Updated 2025 Jan 19]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470347/

2. Kumar S, Verma SK, Singh R, Prasad R. Hemorrhagic pleural effusion secondary to sarcoidosis: A brief review. Ann Thorac Med. 2009 Jan;4(1):27-31. doi: 10.4103/1817-1737.44783. PMID: 19561920; PMCID: PMC2700470.

3. Lending G, El Ghani YA, Kaykov E, Svirsky B, Cohen HI, Altman E. Hemorrhagic Malignant Pleural Effusion: Diagnosis, Survival Rate, and Response to Talc Pleurodesis. Indian J Surg Oncol. 2021 Mar;12(1):54-60. doi: 10.1007/s13193-020-01099-2. Epub 2020 Nov 14. PMID: 33814832; PMCID: PMC7960834.

No comments:

Post a Comment