Symptoms

  • Haemoptysis can range from small flecks to catastrophic haemorrhage
  • The patients may also have symptoms relating to the cause of the haemoptysis, for example infection, pulmonary thromboembolism, tumour erosion, severe heart failure
  •  Other symptoms may include:
    • pain
    • cough
    • shortness of breath.

 

Signs

Signs should be sought to confirm the diagnosis from the history.

 

Management

  • Consider and manage the underlying cause (for example tumour erosion/ infection/ pulmonary thromboembolism)
  • Consider admission where there is a potentially reversible cause
  • Stop anticoagulants unless there is a high suspicion of thromboembolic disease causing haemoptysis
  • Oral corticosteroids can be helpful for those with inflammation and direct invasion from cancer
  • Antifibrinolytics can be helpful but can be associated with increased thromboembolic disease
  • Antibiotics should be considered where infection is suspected.