ABSTRACT
AIM: To analyze an efficacy of differentiated approach for pulmonary bleeding of different etiology and severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 134 cases of pulmonary bleeding for the period 2006-2015 including 53 patients with traumatic and 81 with non-traumatic etiology. Men/women ratio was 2.7:1, mean age was 43 years. Comparative retrospective analysis of X-ray and CT data in diagnosis of bleeding source was performed. Bronchoscopy was used to confirm these data. There were 43 endovascular examinations including 40 cases of bronchial arteriography (BAG). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: X-ray and CT-signs of bleeding source were detected more often in case of traumatic pulmonary bleeding (62.3% and 93%) compared with non-traumatic (27.2 and 54%; p<0.05). Bronchoscopy revealed ongoing pulmonary bleeding in 40 (30%) patients, completed - in 94 (70%) patients. Indirect angiographic signs were the most frequent for pulmonary bleeding origin: hypervascularization (32.6%), bronchial-pulmonary shunts (23.2%) and bronchial artery dilatation (20.9%). 17 patients with ongoing bleeding underwent bronchial obstruction with adequate hemostasis in all cases. Endovascular interventions included bronchial arteries embolization (EBA) (33), occlusion of intercostal arteries (3) and segmental branches of low-lobar pulmonary artery (1), aortic stenting (1). Early efficacy of EBA was 97% with 2 month recurrence of pulmonary bleeding near 12.5%. Ongoing traumatic pulmonary bleeding was an indication for emergency thoracotomy in 18.9% compared with 12.3% for non-traumatic bleeding when surgery was made after endoscopic and endovascular hemostasis. CONCLUSION: Differentiated approach depending on etiology and severity of pulmonary bleeding improves outcomes and reduces the number of operations for ongoing severe bleeding.
