An overview on the principles of management of haemoptysis.

Abstract

Haemoptysis is a frequently encountered presentation in thoracic surgery practice. Most of the patients present with chronic haemoptysis while 5% of them will present with life-threatening acute haemoptysis. Emergency surgery used to be the first-line management in acute life-threatening haemoptysis which resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. With advancements in interventional procedures, most of these acute presentations are now being managed conservatively by interventionists. In a country like India with a high incidence of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases of the lungs, haemoptysis is even more common. While interventional procedures help to tide over the crisis and earn valuable time to stabilise a haemorrhaging patient, surgical resection is the definitive management most of the time. This review will endeavour to establish the definition, aetiology, emergency, and definitive management of a patient who presents with haemoptysis.