Frightening symptom hemoptysis: Analysis of etiology, mortality, and treatment outcomes in a large cohort from the chest disease center in Turkiye

Aims: Hemoptysis can indicate serious, potentially life-threatening conditions. The etiology varies by region and can include tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries and malignancies in developed regions. Methods: This retrospective cohort study reviewed medical records of 400 hospitalized hemoptysis patients between June 2012 and March 2016. Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities, hemoptysis volume, diagnostic tests, treatments, and outcomes. Survival rates and readmissions were tracked for 2-6 years post-discharge. Results: Of the 400 patients, 88 (22%) were female and 312 (78%) were male. The leading causes of hemoptysis were bronchiectasis (14%), sequela of tuberculosis (TB sequelae; 19%), and malignancy (22.8%). The most common causes in male patients were lung cancer (27.2%) and TB sequelae (21.8%). Bronchiectasis accounted for 28.4% of cases in female patients, followed by drug-induced hemoptysis at 14.8%. The in-hospital mortality rate was 1% (n = 4), with severe hemoptysis present in all four patients who died during admission for hemoptysis. The 2–6-year survival rate was 70.8% for women and 56.1% for men (p = 0.005). The factors found to significantly worsen mortality risk were lung malignancy, age >65, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Conclusion: Overall, lung cancer was found to be the leading cause of hemoptysis, with bronchiectasis being the leading cause in female patients and malignancy in male patients. Close monitoring of male patients is crucial due to higher mortality risk. Careful assessment of patients with hemoptysis having comorbidities such as diabetes and COPD is required due to the reduced survival rates associated with these conditions. Early detection and intervention for lung cancer is essential to optimize the prognosis of affected individuals.