UrgentEmergency Guide
Coughing blood: Red Flags & Emergency Signs
Coughing blood (haemoptysis) is a red-flag symptom requiring urgent investigation — lung cancer, tuberculosis, and pulmonary embolism must be excluded.
🚨 Call 999 / 112 Immediately
- ⚠Massive haemoptysis (>200mL in 24 hours) — airway protection and interventional radiology or surgery urgently
- ⚠Haemoptysis with breathlessness and leg swelling — pulmonary embolism
- ⚠Haemoptysis with fever, night sweats, and weight loss in an at-risk patient — active tuberculosis
⚡ See a Doctor Today
- •Any haemoptysis in a smoker over 40 — urgent CXR and CT chest (lung cancer exclusion)
- •Haemoptysis in a patient with known anticoagulant therapy — dose review + CXR
High-Risk Combinations
When coughing blood occurs together with any of these symptoms, urgency increases significantly:
Conditions to Rule Out Urgently
Lung Cancerurgent
Urgent CXR + CT chest; bronchoscopy; 2-week wait referral
Pulmonary Embolismurgent
CTPA; heparin anticoagulation
Tuberculosisurgent
Sputum AFB × 3 + CXR; notify public health; isolate
Condition Authority Pages
Differential diagnosis analyses:
When to Call Emergency Services
- →Large volumes of blood from the lungs — airway may be compromised
- →Haemoptysis with breathing difficulty or cyanosis