Background: A quarter of all patients with rib fractures develop a haemothorax. A haemothorax usually occurs immediately following trauma, but it can also occur with considerable delay.
Case description: We describe two patients, aged 58 and 51 years, who each had sustained thoracic trauma. After the initial assessment and additional diagnostic testing, the patients were admitted to hospital. On the 4th and 8th day after the trauma, respectively, they developed hypovolaemic shock resulting from a haemothorax. Both patients had multiple rib fractures.
Conclusion: A delayed haemothorax is rare but in cases of hypovolaemic shock, this dangerous complication of rib fractures should be ruled out.