My daughter has hemothorax. what is it in a nutshell?

Blood in the chest: A hemothorax occurs when blood collects in the chest cavity surrounding the lung, usually from trauma such as a car accident or a fall. The blood can fill up the space where the lung is and collapse the lung. A chest tube is usually placed to drain the blood and allow the lung to reinflate.

Blood: In a nut shell- not much, in the chest, it can be a problem (sorry, couldn't resist the set up line). Hemothorax is blood in the pleural space, and it can lead to big problems if the blood is not evacuated as completely as possible. It can be caused by trauma or by some medical procedures (e.g. Biopsies). Blood can "harden" around the lung, causing lost lung function and sometimes chronic infxn.