Incidence of hemoptysis in pulmonary embolism among cases presented to Mansoura Emergency Hospital

Abstract Background Pulmonary embolism (PE) means occlusion of the pulmonary artery with thrombi, tumor tissue, air, or fat. Blood clots may be located in the main pulmonary artery or in its branches. Aim To assess the frequency of hemoptysis among cases with pulmonary embolism at Mansoura Emergency Hospital and its relation to other symptoms, laboratory data, radiological findings, and the outcome of the affected patients. Methodology This prospective cross-sectional observational investigation has been performed on 73 cases admitted at Mansoura University Emergency Department, Mansoura, Egypt, over 1 year between May 2022 and May 2023. Patients were diagnosed with PE according to the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). They were divided into 2 groups, either with or without hemoptysis. Results Mortality was higher in patients with hemoptysis (37.5% vs 7.7%, OR = 6.9, 95% CI 1.4–33.2, p = 0.011). The need for mechanical ventilation and prolonged hospital stay (> 7 days) was also higher in patients with hemoptysis. Median hospital stay is as follows: 15 (10–29) days vs 9 (6–20), p < 0.001. Conclusion Hemoptysis is an uncommon presentation in cases with pulmonary embolism, as it was present in 11% of cases. Hemoptysis is highly associated with pulmonary infarction and must direct the attention to the severity of pulmonary embolism as well as the worse outcome.