PULMONARY HEMORRHAGE

Course overview

PULMONARY HEMORRHAGE, ALSO REFERRED TO AS MASSIVE HEMOPTYSIS, IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION INVOLVING BLEEDING FROM THE PULMONARY OR BRONCHIAL VASCULATURE WHICH IS USUALLY DUE TO HIGHER PRESSURE OF THE BRONCHIAL SYSTEM. IN CASES WHERE BRONCHIAL ARTERY EMBOLIZATION HAS NOT YET BEEN PERFORMED, MORTALITY APPROACHES 70 PERCENT. THEREFORE, IT IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO PROVIDE RAPID EVALUATION, STABILIZATION, AND DEFINITIVE CARE OF THE PATIENT. THIS INVOLVES FIRST DETERMINING WHETHER THE BLEED ETIOLOGY IS OF GASTROINTESTINAL OR PULMONARY ORIGIN. INTUBATION CAN PROTECT THE AIRWAY AND PRESERVE OXYGENATION AND VENTILATION OF THE REMAINING FUNCTIONAL LUNG. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF HEMOPTYSIS AND IDENTIFIES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING THIS CONDITION.