Treatment of hemoptysis patients by thrombin and fibrinogen-thrombin infusion therapy using a fiberoptic bronchoscope

Abstract

We report the results of a simplified fiberoptic bronchoscopy-based procedure for thrombin and fibrinogen-thrombin infusion therapy in hemoptysis patients. A total of 33 patients with frequent bloody sputum or hemoptysis received either thrombin (19 cases) or fibrinogen-thrombin (14 cases) infusion therapy. Massive hemoptysis was present in ten patients receiving thrombin therapy and nine patients receiving fibrinogen-thrombin therapy. Thrombin therapy was very effective in 14 cases, effective in one case and ineffective in four cases. Fibrinogen-thrombin therapy was very effective in 11 cases and somewhat effective in three cases; two of these three patients had tuberculosis and the third required emergency surgery for removal of a foreign object in the bronchus. We conclude that infusion therapy using a fiberoptic bronchoscope is a simple and effective low-risk technique of choice for the treatment of hemoptysis patients.