Hemoptysıs and General Approach

Abstract

Hemoptysis is the expectoration of blood or blood-stained sputum originating from the lung or bronchi. Hemoptysis is a commonly encountered symptom that should be searched for promptly in clinical practice. Most of the patients with hemoptysis have minor or limited-type hemoptysis, but less than 5% of patients present with massive hemoptysis, which is severe enough to threaten life and necessitates urgent intervention. Although a blood volume of more than 100 ml expectorated within 24 hours is generally considered massive hemoptysis, there is no universally accepted volume that defines massive hemoptysis. Instead of considering the amount of blood expectoration at once as the only criterion for massive hemoptysis, it is more suitable and functional to define massive hemoptysis as a large amount of blood expectoration that puts the life of patients in danger.