Duration of anamnesis in patients with hemoptysis

The duration of anamnesis and its dependence on the amount of expectorated blood and on concomitant complaints was evaluated in 774 patients examined for hemoptysis in the Department of Respiratory Diseases and Tuberculosis, Faculty Hospital, Brno, with the aim to detect the factors hastening the visiting the physician by the patient. The longest anamnesis in average was in patients with COPD (123 days) and lung cancer (58 days). The patients coming too late to the physician originated mostly from these 2 groups as well--the anamnesis was longer than 2 months in 27% out of COPD patients and in 25% out of cancer patients. After including the influence of the amount of expectorated blood and of the concomitant complaints, the conclusion was reached that the bloody expectoration alone especially when streaks of blood only are present in sputum represent in many patients the motive not important enough for consulting the physician.