What to do if the sputum is like rotten meat with blood

Some people who cough for a very long time are prone to coughing up rotten flesh and bloody sputum, which requires a certain degree of attention. This means that their condition is becoming more and more serious, and may even put the patient's life in danger and cause shock. In this case, they can only go to the hospital for emergency treatment so that the condition can be controlled. Otherwise, the amount of bleeding will increase compared to before.

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1. General treatment

Provide oxygen inhalation, monitoring, hemostasis, blood transfusion, infusion and symptomatic and etiological treatment.

2. Rescue of severe hemoptysis

Severe hemoptysis requires prompt treatment, otherwise the patient’s life will be threatened.

The impact of massive hemoptysis on the human body is related not only to the amount of hemoptysis and the rate of bleeding, but also to the patient's general condition. For example, if the patient is weak due to a long-term illness, even if the bleeding is less than 300 ml, it may be fatal.

The direct dangers caused by massive hemoptysis are mainly suffocation and hemorrhagic shock. The indirect dangers are secondary lung infection or blood clots blocking the bronchus causing atelectasis. If the patient has tuberculosis, it can also spread through the blood.

(1) Keep calm and do not panic. Let the patient lie down with the head tilted to one side. Encourage the patient to cough up blood gently to avoid blood retention in the respiratory tract. If the location of the lesion is known, lie on the affected side to avoid blood flowing into the healthy lung. If the bleeding site is unknown, lie flat with your head tilted to one side to prevent suffocation.

(2) Sedation: Avoid mental stress and provide mental comfort. If necessary, give a small amount of sedatives, such as oral diazepam.

(3) Patients with severe cough For patients with severe hemoptysis, appropriate amounts of antitussive drugs may be given, but this should be done with caution. Strong antitussive drugs should not be used to avoid excessive suppression of the cough center, which may cause blood to accumulate in the airway and lead to suffocation.

(4) Observe the patient's condition and closely monitor the patient's hemoptysis, breathing, pulse, etc. to prevent the occurrence of shock.

(5) Avoid straining during bowel movements to avoid aggravating hemoptysis.

(6) Keep the airway open. If the patient feels chest tightness, shortness of breath, or wheezing, help the patient clear oral and nasal secretions, maintain indoor air circulation, and provide oxygen if conditions permit.

(7) Rescue of choking patients: If severe hemoptysis and choking occur, immediate postural drainage should be performed, with the head low and feet high (the foot of the bed can be raised to about 45 degrees), or the head can be tilted to the side and the back patted.

After initial treatment, if the hemoptysis is slightly relieved and the patient's blood pressure, pulse and respiration are relatively stable, the patient should be escorted to a nearby hospital as soon as possible for further treatment. If the bleeding does not stop, ask the emergency center's emergency physician to perform on-site rescue. Once the condition is slightly stabilized and transfer is allowed, the patient still needs to be sent to the hospital for oxygen inhalation, monitoring, hemostasis, blood transfusion, infusion, and symptomatic and etiological treatment.