After your CT-guided lung biopsy

Medicines

If we have told you to stop taking warfarin or other blood thinning treatment, ask your medical team when you can restart these medicines.

Biopsy site dressing

After the procedure, you will have a small cut in the skin at the site where the biopsy was taken. 

We will cover the wound site with a waterproof plaster.

Keep the plaster dry and clean.  You can remove it after 24 hours. 

When you have removed it, you can shower or bath as normal, but keep the biopsy area dry [how do they shower and keep it dry?  Can we add some advice here?] 

Pain relief

As the local anaesthetic wears off, you may become aware of tenderness at the biopsy site.  

You can treat this with over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol.

For the first 24 hours do not take Nurofen or aspirin as these can make any bruising worse.

Chest pain

It is usual to experience a small amount of chest pain after a biopsy.

If you experience worsening chest pain, do the following:

  • Go to the Kingston Hospital emergency department (A&E).
  • When you arrive, tell reception that you have recently had a CT guided needle biopsy of the lung at Kingston Hospital.

Bleeding

Blood at biopsy site

If you experience active bleeding from the biopsy site, do the following:

  • ask someone to gently press a flannel or small towel on the bleeding spot for 10 minutes continuously.

If the bleeding continues, contact your GP or go to Kingston Hospital emergency department (A&E).

Blood in mucus

It is usual to cough up streaks of blood in the sputum (mucus) for up to 7 days following a lung biopsy.

If you cough up clots of blood, go to the Kingston Hospital emergency department (A&E).

They will assess you, X ray you and may monitor you until the bleeding settles.

When to seek urgent medical help

Go to your nearest emergency department (A&E) if you experience the following:

  • unexpected or worsening chest pain
  • shortness of breath
  • dizziness or faintness
  • you are coughing up clots of blood (small streaks of blood are usual and are not an emergency).

When you arrive, tell reception that you have recently had a CT guided needle biopsy of the lung at Kingston Hospital.

Biopsy results

We will discuss your results with you at the Outpatient Clinic, 7 days after your biopsy.  [When, and how, do you invite them to this?]

Contact information

Interventional Radiology department, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Telephone:

020 8934 2158