I was going to use this post to talk about potential spaces in the body until I made the mistake of mentioning it to a surgical friend of mine (yes, I have them) who got all upset that I was really talking about a compartment and not a potential space (apparently I’ve been inappropriately mixing anatomical spaces my entire career). While the definition of a compartment versus a potential space is still debated hotly among anatomy nerds (yes I called you a nerd), for an EP there’s nothing like a dramatic case to remind you that not all potential spaces (or compartments or whatever, hey will you relax please?) are created equal.The elderly and morbidly obese often have a lot more “potential” to extravasate into these spaces.

In the case pictured here, a minor fall in a small woman with abundant loose adipose tissue in her arms led to substantial blood loss before spontaneously rupturing through the skin. She arrived to the ED in class III hemorrhagic shock.

So I guess if you want to be clear about it, old people on Coumadin have a lot of “potential” to bleed copiously into what seem like rather small compartments.  Okay there, does that make you happy?  I know it does.

If you would like to review the difference between a compartment and a potential space here is a mind-numbing review for you. Anatomical spaces: a review. Newell RL. Anatomy Unit, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, UK. Newell@cardiff.ac.uk