Which condition is characterized by cough with bloody sputum, fever, and fatigue?

• A. RSV
• B. Tuberculosis
• C. COPD
• D. CHF

Answer: (B)

Bleeding with systemic symptoms like fever and fatigue is most characteristic of pulmonary tuberculosis. TB often presents with a chronic productive cough, low-grade fever, night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue, and as the disease progresses, cavities can form in the lungs that erode into blood vessels, producing hemoptysis (bloody sputum). While other conditions can cause cough and fever, bloody sputum is a key clue that points toward TB in this symptom set. RSV typically causes an acute viral illness with wheezing and fever but not usually hemoptysis; COPD involves a long history of chronic cough and sputum production with dyspnea and fever mainly during infections, and bleeding is not a defining feature; CHF presents with edema-related cough and pink frothy sputum, not fever and systemic fatigue from infection.