Thoracic Emergencies

Patients with lung cancer are threatened by a broad spectrum of emergencies ranging from long-term complications like vena cava superior syndrome to acute life-threatening complications like dramatic bleeding and airway obstruction. Due to the extent of the tumor, the acute treatment options are—at least in the initial phase—the domains of interventional bronchoscopy and radiology. All emergency practitioners should be familiar with simple airway disobstruction maneuvers such as intubation and/or tracheostomy. Most emergencies related to bronchial carcinoma occur in the setting of palliative management. Nevertheless, thoracic and emergency surgeons should keep in mind that despite an initial dramatic presentation, a radical surgical tumor resection could still be possible in some cases.