title: Management of hemoptysis in a Third World city hospital: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Massive hemoptysis (defined as blood loss greater than 600 ml/24h) is said to have a fatal outcome in up to 85% of patients when managed only medically.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective patient chart study was undertaken to analyse underlying pathology, management and outcome of hemoptysis patients in a hospital with no thoracic surgical, bronchoscopic or embolisation facilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  63 patients were admitted for hemoptysis during a 2.5 year study period. Tuberculosis and sequelae of previous tuberculosis accounted for 65% of the cases. The patients with expectoration of more than 600 ml/24h had a shorter duration of hemoptysis (P = 0.033) and more often a history of tuberculosis (P = 0.023). The mortality rate was 6% (4/63 patients). Recurrent bleeding was not frequent (11%) and never severe enough for admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hemoptysis in a Third World city hospital is mainly caused by infectious disease. Under the above-mentioned circumstances, in view of a low mortality and recurrence rate, conservative treatment of hemoptysis in in-patients seems justified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: van Kralingen
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: van Kralingen-Heijboer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Postmus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications