Hemoptysis or haemoptysis is the discharge of blood or blood-stained mucus through the mouth coming from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs.

This can occur with lung cancer, infections such as tuberculosis, bronchitis, or pneumonia, and certain cardiovascular conditions.

[1] The most common causes for hemoptysis in adults are chest infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

[1] In children, hemoptysis is commonly caused by the presence of a foreign body in the airway.

Less common causes include aspergilloma, bronchiectasis, coccidioidomycosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonic plague, and cystic fibrosis.

[citation needed] Although there are reports that the fatality rate is as high as 80%, the mortality rate for hospitalized hemoptysis patients is 9.4% (with n=28539), calculated from the data in the article by Kinoshita et al.[27] This is probably the most reasonable figure considering the overwhelming number of cases.

Treatments include iced saline, and topical vasoconstrictors such as adrenaline or vasopressin.