Hemoptysis in Children

Maggiolo Massone J.; Mendoza Fox C.; Kogan Alterman R. · Pediatric Respiratory Diseases: A Comprehensive Textbook (2020) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-26961-6_23

Resumen

Hemoptysis is the presence of blood in sputum, coming from the lower airway, under the glottis. It is an infrequent sign in children and rarely life threatening. Hemoptysis in children is hard to quantify and is generally mild, being associated with upper airway infections, but it is frequently confused with gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Hemoptysis may be easily attributable in a patient with a chronic condition such as advanced cystic fibrosis or congenital heart disease associated with increased pulmonary vein pressures, but it poses a challenge when it is the first sign of an autoimmune disease. In these circumstances, the differential diagnoses may include a long list of infrequent but serious diseases, which are a part of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage syndrome (DAHS) and must be considered, with use of a complete check list. The treatment will depend on the underlying cause, but as a first approach, hemoptysis must be considered a life-threatening event until the patient is stable. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.