This consensus provides expert recommendations to guide the standardized establishment of dedicated hemoptysis centers across China. The recommendations were developed by national bodies—the Chinese Thoracic Society, the Chinese Society for Tuberculosis, the Interventional Pulmonology Working Group of the Chinese Association of Chest Physicians, and the Hemoptysis Expert Committee of the Haemorrhage Professional Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association—through consultation with specialists in related fields. The document aims to create an orderly, uniform approach to center construction, modeled on established systems such as chest pain centers and stroke centers, to improve emergency care for bleeding airways.
The consensus notes that hemoptysis is a common and clinically challenging emergency in China. It frequently occurs secondary to conditions with high national prevalence, including pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, and pulmonary mycoses. Respiratory interventional procedures are also identified as an important cause. These underlying conditions shape the clinical workload and resource needs anticipated for specialized centers.
The authors emphasize that life-threatening massive hemoptysis carries a high risk of rapid deterioration: patients may die within minutes from asphyxia or hemorrhagic shock. This time-critical nature reinforces the need for rapid triage, coordinated multidisciplinary response, and ready access to definitive interventions—objectives that hemoptysis centers are designed to meet.
According to the consensus, current clinical practice for hemoptysis across different regions and hospital tiers in China exhibits substantial variability. Overall, there is an insufficiency in rescue capability, with consequentially high rates of mortality and disability. These disparities in capability and outcomes motivate standardization of care pathways and the formation of specialized centers to reduce practice variation and improve patient outcomes.
The statement reports that multiple hospitals in various provinces and municipalities have already established Hemoptysis Centers and achieved favorable practical results. Based on these experiences, the consensus supports broader adoption and coordinated development of a nationwide Hemoptysis Center network. A networked model aims to disseminate best practices, enable regional referral pathways, and elevate the overall standard of emergency hemoptysis care.
These recommendations are presented as the first consensus specifically addressing standardized construction of Hemoptysis Centers domestically and internationally. Primary goals articulated in the publication include:
The document is intended to guide hospitals at different levels as they plan, implement, and refine dedicated services for hemorrhagic airway emergencies.
The consensus was authored by multiple national professional groups (Chinese Thoracic Society; Chinese Society for Tuberculosis; Interventional Pulmonology Working Group; Hemoptysis Expert Committee) and published in Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi in 2026 (volume 49, issue 9, pages 984–991). Identifiers include PMID 42706205 and DOI 10.3760/cma.j.cn112147-20260410-00193.
All authors declared no conflicts of interest. The publication is categorized as a Consensus Statement and includes both a Chinese full text and an English abstract. Funding metadata listed a 2024 National Outstanding Physician Talent Program grant in related fields.
Note: The source abstract and PubMed record provide the scope, rationale, authorship, and high-level goals of the recommendations. Detailed operational standards, specific structural requirements, pathway algorithms, or procedural protocols for Hemoptysis Centers were not reported in the PubMed abstract and would require consulting the full text for actionable implementation details.