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Kwon, Yoo, Kang, Lee, Kim, Cha, Park, Jung, and Kim: The Effect of Corticosteroid in Conservative Treatment of Patients with Hemoptysis
Original Article
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2007; 63(6): 486-490.

Published online: 31 December 2007

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2007.63.6.486

The Effect of Corticosteroid in Conservative Treatment of Patients with Hemoptysis

Jee Suk Kwon, M.D., Seung Soo Yoo, M.D., Yeh Rim Kang, M.D., Jeong Woo Lee, M.D., Eun Jin Kim, M.D., Seung Ick Cha, M.D., Jae Yong Park, M.D., Tae Hoon Jung, M.D., Chang Ho Kim, M.D.

Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Chang Ho Kim, M.D. Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 50, Samdeok 2-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu 700-721, Korea. Phone: 82-53-420-5537, Fax: 82-53-427-1098, kimch@knu.ac.kr

Received 25 October 2007       Accepted 12 December 2007

Copyright © 2007 The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

Background

This study examined the effect of corticosteroids as a short-term treatment for patients with hemoptysis that requires conservative treatment including bed rest, antitussives and antibiotics.

Methods

From February 2005 to August 2006, 78 consecutive patients who visited the emergency room because of hemoptysis were enrolled in the study. Patients with hemoptysis due to lung cancer, active pulmonary tuberculosis, and pneumonia were excluded. The 78 patients were divided randomly into a corticosteroid medication group (n=37) and a control group (n=41). The mean control time of hemoptysis, mean in-hospital days, and complications of treatment were investigated prospectively.

Results

For the etiology of hemoptysis, inactive pulmonary tuberculosis alone or its associated complications (bronchiectasis and/or aspergilloma) were the most common causes (51%); bronchiectasis alone and bronchitis were the next most common causative diseases (15%, respectively). The patients' characteristics and symptoms in the corticosteroid medication and control groups were similar. The steroid medication group showed a significantly lower mean control time of hemoptysis than the control group (4.0±2.7 days, 6.1±4.8 days, respectively) (p=0.022) and had a lower mean number of in-hospital days (5.8±3.4 days, 7.9±4.8 days, respectively) (p=0.036). There were no significant complications, such as hospital-acquired pneumonia or gastrointestinal bleeding, related to the use of corticosteroids.

Conclusion

The use of corticosteroids as a conservative treatment for hemoptysis due to bronchitis, bronchiectasis, inactive pulmonary tuberculosis and its related complications safely reduces the control time of hemoptysis as well as the number of in-hospital days.

Keywords: Conservative treatment, Corticosteroid, Hemoptysis

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Characteristics of the patients
trd-63-486-i001

Values are mean±SD or frequency with percentage in parenthesis.

*Ischemic heart disease, †Diabetes mellitus, ‡Liver cirrhosis, §Simplified acute physiology score, ∥Bronchial artery embolization

Table 2
Cause of hemoptysis
trd-63-486-i002

Values are mean±SD or frequency with percentage in parenthesis.

Table 3
Outcome of treatment
trd-63-486-i003

Values are mean±SD or frequency with percentage in parenthesis.

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