HEMOTHORAX AFTER ATTEMPTED INTERCOSTAL CATHETERIZATION

A 30-year-old man with chronic abdominal pain was referred to the Pain Relief Unit after a course of unsuccesful diagnostic blocks and treat ments. On admission, history, examination and clinical investigations were consistent with a large pleural effusion due to a recent attempt to chatheterise the intercostal space. Pleural drainage confirmed the diagnosis of haemothorax. Percutaneous intercostal nerve blocks are us ually considered as safe and simple and no-one to our knowledge has re ported such a complication.