
What Causes Blood In Sputum?

Workup needed if persistence or recurrence of symptoms
Detailed Answer:
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Blood in sputum can be a worrisome symptom. The most common causes for hemoptysis or blood in sputum aren't related to serious disorders such as malignancies. They include an upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, forceful cough or sneezing leading to erosion of the respiratory tract. If its a single episode and there is no fever or persistent cough then there is no need to investigate. However, if this recurs or there is associated fever and other symptoms including night sweats and subjective weight loss then workup including blood counts, chest x ray, sputum for AFB, ESR should be done in consult with your doctor to find possible cause for the hemoptysis.
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Detailed Answer:
Hello.
It could be related to straining or forceful cough. In all cases of chest pain, generally one should rule out cardiac causes before treating plain musculoskeletal issues. An EKG should also be done as part of the workup , just to be on the safe side.
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Explained
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
The EKG was required for the chest pain to look for possible cardiac cause. If it was clear then the cause is unlikely to be the heart. The EKG has no role in assessment of symptoms like blood in sputum. As pointed out earlier , if its one episode then there is no need to undergo the battery of investigations. However, one should go ahead with the workup if it recurs.
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