Hemoptisis is the scientific name given to bloody cough, which is usually linked to lung changes, such as tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary embolism and lung cancer, for example, which can lead to significant blood loss through the mouth, so it is important to go immediately. treatment can be initiated and complications avoided.
It is considered hemoptisis when bleeding comes from the lung and a loss of 100 to more than 500 mL of blood is found in 24 hours, but this value may vary depending on the doctor responsible. The amount of blood lost is considered serious when it can endanger a person’s life due to airway obstruction due to blood buildup.
- Hemoptisis can be a symptom of several diseases.
- But it is most often associated with inflammatory.
- Infectious or malignant changes in the lung.
- Or in the blood vessels that reach this organ and promote its irrigation.
- The main being:.
Blood sputum can also occur as a result of invasive diagnostic or treatment procedures that may have caused upper respiratory damage, such as the mouth, nose, or throat, and may also come from the gastrointestinal tract, but in the case of haemoptisis there are two situations: it is called pseudohmoepticsis.
Learn about the other causes of a blood cough
Diagnosis of hemoptisis is mainly done by evaluating the symptoms presented and the person’s medical history. For example, in cases where the person has a cough with blood for more than a week, weight loss for no apparent reason, high fever, changes in breathing and/or chest pain, it is recommended to go to the hospital immediately for testing to identify the cause of symptoms.
Your doctor usually recommends imaging tests, such as chest x-rays and CT scans, to evaluate your lungs and identify any signs of bleeding that may compromise a person’s life. In addition, laboratory tests, such as coagulation and blood formula, are required to check the amount and characteristics of circulating blood cells.
Diagnosis of hemoptisis is also done by bronchoscopy, an examination in which a small flexible tube with a microcamer attached to your limb is inserted into your mouth or nose and raised into your lungs, allowing your doctor to look at the entire lung structure and airways.and identify the bleeding site.Understand how bronchoscopy is performed.
Treatment of hemoptisis is performed according to the cause and amount of blood lost, to control bleeding and keep the patient stable. For example, a bronchoscopy or arteriography may be recommended and, depending on severity, plasma and platelet transfusion may be indicated.
When bleeding becomes uncontrollable, even if steps have already been taken to control it, surgery, such as embolization of the bronchial artery, is indicated, for example, in which the doctor, using a small flexible tube and a microcamera in the trick, can identify the location and stop the bleeding.
Depending on the cause of the hemoptisis, your doctor may also recommend other treatments, such as antibiotic use, if bleeding is due to infections, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory or, if it is for lung cancer, chemotherapy may be given. Indicated.