(no subject)

[Roy Danks]

63 y.o. male falls in bathtub and has multiple, displaced left rib fx, hemopneumothorax.  Also has fairly recent dx of Stage IV colon CA (mets to lung and liver)...mets in the affected (traumatized lung).  Now 8 days post injury and has retrained HTX (probably 300-500 ml...who knows, it's compressing and causing atelectasis, but no hypoxemia)...and about 15% PTX.  Chest tube not in good position really.
 
Do I:  Replace the chest tube?  Do a VATS, evac the clot and place chest tube(s) then or do nothing and see what happens?
 
Thanks.
 
R. Danks
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