Coughing up blood is medically termed which of the following?

• A. Hematemesis
• B. Hemoptysis
• C. Cyanosis
• D. Pulmonary edema

Answer: (B)

Coughing up blood is called hemoptysis. This term specifically refers to bleeding from the lower respiratory tract that is expectorated with the sputum. Hematemesis, by contrast, is vomiting blood and comes from a gastrointestinal source. Cyanosis is a bluish discoloration of the skin from low oxygen in the blood, not a sign of coughing up blood. Pulmonary edema involves fluid buildup in the lungs causing shortness of breath; it may produce frothy sputum, but the key feature is edema, not blood from the airways. Recognizing that the symptom is bleeding from the respiratory tract helps narrow the cause to lung- or airway-related issues such as infection, bronchitis, tuberculosis, lung cancer, or pulmonary embolism.