From the Guidelines
Bronchoscopy is a highly safe and effective medical procedure for diagnosing and treating lung conditions, with a mortality rate of 0.01% and a major complication rate of 0.08%, as reported in a large series of 24,521 procedures 1. The procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube called a bronchoscope through the nose or mouth and into the trachea and bronchi, allowing doctors to visualize abnormalities such as inflammation, bleeding, tumors, or foreign objects.
- Key aspects of bronchoscopy include:
- Diagnostic capabilities: collecting tissue samples (biopsies), fluid specimens, or removing foreign bodies and mucus plugs
- Therapeutic applications: treating conditions such as bleeding, tumors, or airway obstruction
- Safety profile: low risk of complications, with a mortality rate of 0.01% and a major complication rate of 0.08% 1
- Precautions: patients must fast for 6-8 hours before the procedure and arrange for someone to drive them home afterward due to sedation effects
- Sedation: typically performed under conscious sedation using medications, with a recommended maximum dose of 8.2 mg/kg of lignocaine, equivalent to 29.3 ml 2% lignocaine for a 70 kg patient 1 The decision to perform bronchoscopy is based on a balance between the likely benefit of obtaining diagnostic material and an assessment of the likely risk in the individual patient, as there are no controlled studies on the factors that may make a patient unfit for the procedure 1.
From the Research
Definition of Bronchoscopy
There are no research papers to assist in answering this question as the provided studies do not mention bronchoscopy.
Related Information
However, the studies do provide information on various lung diseases, including:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Asthma 3, 4, 5, 6
- Chronic bronchitis 3, 4, 5
- Emphysema 3, 4, 5
- Lung cancer 3, 4, 5, 6
Key Findings
Some key findings from the studies include: