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Prediction of patient discomfort during fibreoptic bronchoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the potential for predicting which patients would have a negative emotional reaction to bronchoscopy. METHODOLOGY: A questionnaire was distributed to 120 patients who had undergone diagnostic fibreoptic bronchoscopy. A visual analog scale to evaluate the patient's discomfort was adopted. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine factors significantly influencing discomfort. The regression model included the following variables: age, gender, symptoms, smoking habits, proximal bronchial brushing, distal bronchial brushing, bronchial washing, proximal transbronchial biopsy, transbronchial lung biopsy, examination time, the bronchoscopist's experience, and the patient's anxiety level. RESULTS: The bronchoscopist's experience (P = 0.001) and the patient's anxiety level (P < 0.001) were variables that significantly influenced discomfort. These results suggest that discomfort decreased with the bronchoscopist's experience and increased with the patient's anxiety regarding bronchoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that subjective discomfort can be predicted both by the bronchoscopist's experience and by a questionnaire about the patient's anxiety level before bronchoscopy. Therefore, it is recommended that the patient's anxiety level be determined through the use of a questionnaire before bronchoscopy, and that more experienced bronchoscopists should take charge if the patient is judged as being excessively anxious. If experienced bronchoscopists are unavailable, the more anxious patient should receive more sedatives.

Adolescent↗

Fibreoptic bronchoscopy today: a review of 255 cases.

An analysis of 255 fibreoptic bronchoscopies showed that the major indication for bronchoscopy was suspected bronchial carcinoma (93% of cases). Of the 183 patients finally shown to have bronchial carcinoma 83% had abnormal bronchoscopy findings and 65% had bronchial biopsy specimens diagnostic of malignancy. These figures were superior to those obtainable with rigid bronchoscopy, particularly with upper lobe and peripheral tumours. Brush biopsy and bronchography were useful supplementary techniques. Sputum cytology gave poorer results than fibreoptic bronchoscopy, but enabled diagnosis in some otherwise undiagnosed cases. The complication rate was low and the claim of this new technique to be the investigation of choice in bronchial carcinoma seemed to be justified in clinical practice.

Biopsy↗

Cytological sampling at fibreoptic bronchoscopy: comparison of catheter aspirates and brush biopsies.

A prospective study was undertaken to compare bronchial brushings with dry catheter aspiration for the cytological diagnosis of lung cancer at fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Duplicate samples taken by aspirate and brush were obtained at 103 consecutive routine bronchoscopies. Aspirate and brush samples were reported on separately by two cytologists. At the end of the study a 30% sample, including the 19 cases with different findings by the two methods, were subjected to a blind crossover review, and then an open review. Forceps biopsy specimens for routine histological assessment were taken in 94 cases (92%). Ninety-eight of 103 (95%) aspirates and 99 of 103 (96%) brush specimens were technically satisfactory. Carcinoma was diagnosed at bronchoscopy on cytological or histological evidence or both in 57 cases. Fifty-five of these tumours (96%) were recognised by either the aspirate or the brush method, 52 (91%) by brush, and 50 (88%) by aspirate. Thirty-four cases (60%) could be diagnosed from histological specimens. The order of cytological sampling did not systematically affect yield. It is concluded that fine-catheter aspirates, permitting smears to be prepared in the laboratory, are a satisfactory alternative to brush smears for the cytological diagnosis of lung cancer at bronchoscopy. The routine use of both techniques at bronchoscopy will increase diagnostic yield by about 5%. Duplicate sampling may be especially useful in obtaining diagnostic material from upper-lobe or apical-segment tumours.

Biopsy↗

Usefulness of various diagnostic techniques during fiberoptic bronchoscopy for endoscopically visible lung cancer: should cytologic examinations be performed routinely?

BACKGROUND: The question of which combination of procedures gives the best diagnostic yield following fiberoptic bronchoscopy is controversial. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the value of various diagnostic techniques following fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of endoscopically visible lung cancer. METHODS: The study included 98 patients found to have endobronchially visible tumor during routine daily bronchoscopy. Endobronchial lesions were classified as mass, submucosal lesion and infiltration. Washings, brushings and forceps biopsies were obtained in all subjects. Transbronchial needle aspirations were performed in 67 of 76 cases with mass or submucosal lesions. RESULTS: Bronchoscopy was diagnostic for cancer in 88 (89.8%) of the 98 patients. Forceps biopsy specimens gave positive result in 82.7% of cases, transbronchial needle aspirates in 68.6%, brushings in 68.4%, and washings in 31.6%. Combination of forceps biopsy and brushing cytology yielded a positive result for lung cancer in 87 patients. The addition of brushings increased the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy from 82.7% to 88.8% (p < 0.05). Collection of washing specimens in addition to forceps biopsy did not increase the yield of forceps biopsy. Transbronchial needle aspiration gave an additional yield of 1%. CONCLUSIONS: Routine cytological examination of bronchial washings does not increase the yield of forceps biopsy specimens. Transbronchial needle aspiration may give an additional positive yield to forceps biopsy. We conclude that a combination of forceps biopsy and brushing is the best strategy in the diagnosis of bronchoscopically visible lung cancer.

Adult↗

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy in brain-dead organ donors.

Criteria for selecting lung donors include normal chest X-ray and adequate gas exchange, but normal bronchoscopy is not always required. Thus, we conducted a prospective study of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in 72 brain-dead donors scheduled for multiple organ procurement. Chest X-ray was considered normal in 37 donors (51%), and PaO2 was > 400 mm Hg with an FIO2 of 100% in 34 donors (47%). Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was normal in only 24 donors (33%). In the remaining 48 donors, inhalation of gastric contents (n = 26) or blood (n = 17), pulmonary contusion (n = 5), or purulent bronchial secretions (n = 4) were noted. In the 26 donors with normal chest X-ray and PaO2 > 400 mm Hg with FIO2 of 100%, bronchoscopy was abnormal in 10 donors (38%). In 33 donors, arteriovenous difference in oxygen content (2.4 +/- 0.8 ml O2/100 ml), and pulmonary shunt (0.30 +/- 0.11, range 0.13-0.49) were measured. In the 15 donors with PaO2 > 400 mm Hg, pulmonary shunt was 0.23 +/- 0.07 (range 0.13-0.35). Our study suggests that chest X-ray and arterial blood gas analysis are not sufficient, and that fiberoptic bronchoscopy should be routinely performed to select potential lung donors. Even in brain-dead donors, only the measurement of pulmonary shunt can precisely assess pulmonary gas exchange.

Adult↗

Comparison of sputum induction with fiber-optic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Microbiologic confirmation of pulmonary tuberculosis among patients whose sputum smear is negative is increasingly important because of greater incidence among immunocompromised hosts and emergence of drug-resistant strains. We prospectively compared sputum induction to fiber-optic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of such patients. Consecutive patients referred for investigation of possible active pulmonary tuberculosis underwent sputum induction with hypertonic saline delivered by an ultrasonic nebulizer between 2 and 48 h before transnasal fiber-optic bronchoscopy. All specimens were examined for acid-fast bacilli with fluorescent microscopy and cultured for mycobacteria. Clinical information was abstracted from patient records, and X-rays were reviewed by two blinded readers. Among 101 participants, sputum induction was well-tolerated without complications and provided adequate samples in 93. Sensitivity of direct acid-fast bacilli smear of specimens from both techniques was low. Sensitivity and negative predictive value of culture from bronchoscopy specimens was 73% and 91% compared with 87% and 96%, respectively, for sputum induction when a specimen was obtained. Direct costs for bronchoscopy totaled Canadian $187.60 compared with Canadian $22.22 for sputum induction. Sputum induction was well-tolerated, low-cost, and provided the same, if not better, diagnostic yield compared with bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis.

Adult↗

Therapeutic bronchoscopy in broncholithiasis.

Bronchoscopy is considered the most important diagnostic test for broncholithiasis. However, its role in the treatment of broncholithiasis in a large group of patients has not been studied. To evaluate the therapeutic role of bronchoscopy, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients with broncholithiasis who also underwent bronchoscopy at Mayo Clinic. Bronchoscopy revealed 127 broncholiths (free or partly eroded calcified material in the airway lumen) in 95 patients (49 men and 46 women) evaluated between 1954 and 1994. Bronchoscopic removal of 71 (56%) broncholiths was attempted in 48 patients (50.5%) during 61 bronchoscopy sessions. Forty-eight of the broncholiths selected for removal were partly eroding into the tracheobronchial lumen and 23 were free. Forty-eight percent (23 of 48) of the partly eroding broncholiths were successfully removed bronchoscopically, with a greater percentage removed with the rigid bronchoscope (67%) than with the flexible bronchoscope (30%). All free broncholiths were completely extracted regardless of the type of bronchoscope used. Complications occurred in only two patients (4% of the bronchoscopic broncholithectomy group), both with partially eroded broncholiths, and consisted of hemorrhage in one patient requiring thoracotomy and acute dyspnea in another patient, caused by a loose broncholith lodged in the trachea. We conclude that flexible and/or rigid bronchoscopic extraction of partly eroded or free broncholiths in the tracheobronchial tree can be considered safe and effective.

Adolescent↗

Acute lobar atelectasis: a prospective comparison of fiberoptic bronchoscopy and respiratory therapy.

To evaluate the usefulness of fiberoptic bronchoscopy for treatment of acute lobar atelectasis, 31 subjects were randomly allocated to fiberoptic bronchoscopy followed by respiratory therapy for 48 hours, or to respiratory therapy alone for the same period. No significant differences between groups with regard to restoration of volume loss were detected after the first treatment intervention, at 24 or at 48 hours (P greater than 0.20). Specifically, the mean percentage resolution of volume loss immediately after bronchoscopy (38 per cent) closely approximated that after the first respiratory therapy treatment in subjects who had not undergone bronchoscopy (37 per cent). An air bronchogram proved to be a predictor of delayed resolution for both groups. At 24 hours, 26 per cent of the air bronchograms demonstrated 83 per cent resolution (P less than 0.001). These results suggest that fiberoptic bronchoscopy does not add to respiratory therapy in the treatment of acute lobar atelectasis and that an air bronchogram predicts delayed resolution of collapse.

Adolescent↗

Diagnosis of pulmonary disease in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Role of bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage.

The effectiveness of fiberoptic bronchoscopy with the addition of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was evaluated in 72 patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and parenchymal pulmonary disease. The diagnostic yield varied for different pathogens and was 94% (45/48 cases) for Pneumocystis carinii, 67% (14/21 cases) for cytomegalovirus, and 62% (8/13 cases) for Mycobacterium avium intracellulare. Of the 11 cases of documented Kaposi's sarcoma in the lung parenchyma, none were diagnosed from bronchoscopy, although characteristic endobronchial lesions were seen in 6 cases. Overall, the yield of bronchoscopy for all pathogens was 65%. Both transbronchial biopsy and BAL had high independent yields (88 and 85%, respectively) for diagnosing P. carinii pneumonia but combining the procedures gave the best yield. Cytomegalovirus was most often diagnosed from examination and culture of the BAL. Recovery of Mycobacterium avium intracellulare was highest with culture of both washings and lavage. Neither granuloma nor organisms were seen on examination of histologic specimens. Bronchoscopy with BAL was well tolerated with few complications even in 5 patients with thrombocytopenia and 10 patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Sixteen patients (22%) had an increase in temperature after the procedure without hypotension or sepsis and 1 patient (1.5%) had a moderate pulmonary hemorrhage after transbronchial biopsy. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with BAL is a safe procedure with a high diagnostic yield in AIDS patient with lung disease.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Value of repeat fiberoptic bronchoscopies and significance of nondiagnostic bronchoscopic results in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Out of 286 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who had fiberoptic bronchoscopies performed for the diagnosis of pulmonary disease, 21 (7.3%) patients (Group I) had repeat procedures after 1 to 30 days (mean, 14.8 days) because of persistent pulmonary infiltrates despite therapy, and 46 (15.9%) patients (Group II) had repeat procedures after 2 to 32 months (mean, 7.5 months) because of recurrent pulmonary infiltrates after initial clinical and radiographic improvement. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was the most common diagnosis in both groups on initial evaluation, being found in 55% of the patients. Repeat bronchoscopy yielded a new treatable diagnosis in 1 (5%) of 21 patients in Group I and in 27 (59%) of 46 patients in group II. Sixty-two percent of patients in Group I died within 1 month. It appears that in patients with AIDS who have persistent or worsening pulmonary infiltrates despite therapy, repeat bronchoscopy after a short interval (i.e., less than 1 month) is unlikely to have therapeutic implications. In contrast, those patients whose pulmonary involvement resolves initially may benefit from an aggressive diagnostic approach if new pulmonary infiltrates appear. In both groups, nondiagnostic bronchoscopies were common (29% overall). The most commonly missed bronchoscopic diagnoses (proved by open lung biopsy) were cytomegalovirus pneumonia and Kaposi's sarcoma, and neither had much therapeutic implication. Further, 12 patients in Group II with nondiagnostic bronchoscopies improved both radiographically and clinically even though no treatment was given.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Electromagnetic navigation diagnostic bronchoscopy: a prospective study.

RATIONALE: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy using superDimension/Bronchus System is a novel method to increase diagnostic yield of peripheral and mediastinal lung lesions. OBJECTIVES: A prospective, open label, single-center, pilot study was conducted to determine the ability of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy to sample peripheral lung lesions and mediastinal lymph nodes with standard bronchoscopic instruments and demonstrate safety. METHODS: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy was performed using the superDimension/Bronchus system consisting of electromagnetic board, position sensor encapsulated in the tip of a steerable probe, extended working channel, and real-time reconstruction of previously acquired multiplanar computed tomography images. The final distance of the steerable probe to lesion, expected error based on the actual and virtual markers, and procedure yield was gathered. MEASUREMENTS: 60 subjects were enrolled between December 2004 and September 2005. Mean navigation times were 7 +/- 6 min and 2 +/- 2 min for peripheral lesions and lymph nodes, respectively. The steerable probe tip was navigated to the target lung area in all cases. The mean peripheral lesions and lymph nodes size was 22.8 +/- 12.6 mm and 28.1 +/- 12.8 mm. Yield was determined by results obtained during the bronchoscopy per patient. RESULTS: The yield/procedure was 74% and 100% for peripheral lesions and lymph nodes, respectively. A diagnosis was obtained in 80.3% of bronchoscopic procedures. A definitive diagnosis of lung malignancy was made in 74.4% of subjects. Pneumothorax occurred in two subjects. CONCLUSION: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy is a safe method for sampling peripheral and mediastinal lesions with high diagnostic yield independent of lesion size and location.

Adult↗

Measurement of combined oximetry and cutaneous capnography during flexible bronchoscopy.

The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of measuring combined arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (Sp,O2) and cutaneous carbon dioxide tension (Pc,CO2) to monitor ventilation and quantify change in Pc,CO2 during bronchoscopy. Combined Sp,O2 and Pc,CO2 were measured at the ear lobe in 114 patients. In four patients, the ear-clip slipped and they were excluded. In total, 11 patients had artefacts with Sp,O2 recordings, thus, Sp,O2 was analysed in 99 patients. Spirometry data were available in 77 patients. Multivariate analysis of covariance and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. Mean baseline Pc,CO2 was 4.78+/-1.06 kPa (36+/-8 mmHg) and mean rise in the Pc,CO2 during bronchoscopy was 1.26+/-0.70 kPa (9.5+/-5.3 mmHg), while mean Pc,CO2 at the end of bronchoscopy was 5.85+/-1.19 kPa (44+/-9 mmHg) . Baseline Pc,CO2 and the lowest Sp,O2 were significantly associated with peak Pc,CO2 and the change in Pc,CO2 during bronchoscopy. Risk of significant hypoxaemia (Sp,O2<or=90%) was lower for a higher baseline Sp,O2. Peak Pc,CO2 was directly associated with significant hypoxaemia. There was no significant association in the baseline Pc,CO2, peak Pc,CO2, baseline Sp,O2 or the lowest Sp,O2 comparing patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In conclusion, it is feasible to measure combined pulse oximetry and cutaneous carbon dioxide tension effectively to monitor ventilation during flexible bronchoscopy.

Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous↗

Yield of bronchoscopy for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

The efficacy of bronchoscopy for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has not been systematically evaluated. We therefore compared the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy in 67 HIV-infected and 45 non-HIV-infected patients with culture-proven pulmonary tuberculosis. In all cases, acid-fast smears of sputum were negative or not obtained prior to bronchoscopy. Prebronchoscopic sputum culture yielded Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 34 (89 percent) of 38 HIV-infected patients and 26 (93 percent) of 28 non-HIV-infected patients from whom specimens were obtained. Bronchoscopy provided an early diagnosis of tuberculosis (positive acid-fast smear or granulomata on biopsy) in 23 (34 percent) of the HIV-infected patients and 20 (44 percent) of the patients without HIV infection. The sensitivities of the acid-fast smear and of mycobacterial culture of bronchoscopic specimens and postbronchoscopic sputum were similar in patients with or without HIV infection. In HIV-infected patients, granulomatous inflammation was noted on transbronchial biopsy in 11 (19 percent) of 59 patients with HIV infection, compared to 16 (43 percent) of 37 patients without HIV infection (p = 0.01). Nevertheless, transbronchial biopsy provided the exclusive means for an early diagnosis of tuberculosis in six (10 percent) of 59 HIV-infected patients. We conclude that the yield of bronchoscopy for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients is similar to that in patients without HIV infection, and that transbronchial biopsy provides incremental diagnostic information not available from evaluation of sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Virtual bronchoscopy. Relationships of virtual reality endobronchial simulations to actual bronchoscopic findings.

Advances in computer technology have permitted development of virtual reality images of the tracheobronchial tree using data sets derived from helical CT of the chest. To determine the relevance of these images to actual bronchoscopic findings, we compared "virtual bronchoscopy" images with videotaped bronchoscopy results in 20 patients who had undergone both helical chest CT and fiberoptic bronchoscopy during clinical evaluation of their thoracic problems. Suboptimal endobronchial simulations in ten patients identified important, readily-addressed technical requirements for this imaging procedure. In the ten patients with technically suitable renderings of the airway, virtual bronchoscopy simulations accurately demonstrated endobronchial obstructions by tumor in five, airway distortion and/or ectasia in four, and accessory bronchi in another. These preliminary observations suggest that virtual bronchoscopy simulations accurately represent major endobronchial anatomic findings. This technique may have a role in prebronchoscopy planning, endoscopy training, and/or endobronchial therapy, and merits further study.

Bronchial Diseases↗

Diagnostic yield of bronchoscopies after isolated lung transplantation.

Lung transplantation has become an acceptable therapeutic option for end-stage pulmonary diseases. The most common causes of long-term mortality after transplantation are infections and obliterative bronchiolitis (OB). While acute rejection has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of development of OB, cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonitis is more controversial as a risk factor for OB. Surveillance bronchoscopies are therefore advocated as a method of detecting silent episodes of CMV pneumonitis or acute rejection. We performed 226 bronchoscopies in 43 lung transplant recipients over 34 months. One hundred fifty-seven of the 226 bronchoscopies were performed according to a surveillance protocol. Acute rejection was diagnosed if lung histologic study revealed grade 2 to 4 rejection or if prompt reversal of clinical deterioration occurred after initiation of pulse steroid therapy. CMV pneumonitis was diagnosed when transbronchial biopsy histologic specimens revealed evidence of CMV inclusion bodies, or when CMV was recovered on BAL fluid in the presence of allograft deterioration. The proportion of patients who were free from any episode of acute rejection or CMV pneumonitis after transplantation was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Twenty-one percent of our transplant recipients were free from acute rejection or CMV pneumonitis after a mean follow-up of 13 months. All patients who had acute rejection or CMV pneumonitis had the initial episode in the first 4 months after transplantation. Patients free of acute rejection or CMV pneumonitis 4 months after transplantation continued to be event free for the duration of follow-up. Our data suggest that surveillance bronchoscopy can be aborted in patients who are free from acute rejection or CMV pneumonitis by 4 months after transplantation. The role of surveillance bronchoscopy in decreasing the incidence of OB or improving survival can be determined only by future randomized prospective trials.

Acute Disease↗

Nebulized lidocaine administered to infants and children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of nebulized lidocaine hydrochloride as a topical anesthetic for use during flexible bronchoscopy in infants and children. DESIGN: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. PATIENTS: Twenty consecutive patients scheduled for flexible bronchoscopy who were not intubated and had no known cardiac or hepatic disease comprised the study group. INTERVENTIONS: The patients were randomized to receive either 8 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg of nebulized 2% lidocaine by face mask prior to bronchoscopy. SETTING: The study took place in a bronchoscopy suite at an academic medical center. MEASUREMENTS: To determine systemic absorption, serum lidocaine levels were obtained. To assess efficacy of nebulized lidocaine as a topical anesthetic, changes in heart rate and blood pressure were recorded, and the bronchoscopist (who did not know the lidocaine dose used) rated the ease of passage of the bronchoscope through nose, vocal cords, trachea, bronchi, and all sites overall, and the degree of cough. RESULTS: Nebulized lidocaine was safe, was well-tolerated, and provided adequate anesthesia for half of the patients. The serum lidocaine levels were much lower than the levels in the toxic range. There was a trend toward easier passage of the bronchoscope in the high-dose group at all sites noted previously that were evaluated. CONCLUSION: Nebulized lidocaine in doses up to 8 mg/kg appears to be safe and moderately effective as a topical anesthetic for flexible bronchoscopy in infants and children. The serum levels were remarkably low. Fifty percent of the subjects required no supplemental lidocaine.

Adolescent↗

A prospective study of fever and bacteremia after flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the incidence of fever and bacteremia after fiberoptic bronchoscopy in immunocompetent children. DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS: Immunocompetent children undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy between January 1997 and June 1998. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Ninety-one children were included in the study. Forty-four children (48%) developed fever within 24 h following bronchoscopy. Bacteremia was not detected in any of the cases at the time of the fever. Children who developed fever were younger than those who remained afebrile (mean age, 2.4 +/- 3.6 years vs 4.2 +/- 3.7 years; p = 0.025). In the fever group, 66% of the bronchoscopies were considered abnormal, compared to 45% in the nonfever group (p = 0.04). Of the fever group, 40.5% of BAL fluid cultures had significant bacterial growth, significantly higher compared to the nonfever group (13.2%; p = 0.006). Of the 80 patients in whom BAL was performed, fever occurred in 52.5% compared to only 18.2% in those who did not have BAL (p = 0.03). BAL fluid content of cell count, lipid-laden macrophages, and interleukin-8 were not significantly different in both groups. In a logistic regression analysis, the significant predictors for developing fever were positive bacterial culture (relative risk, 5.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 16.4; p = 0.007) and abnormal bronchoscopic findings (relative risk, 3.1, 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 8.3; p = 0.02). When age < 2 years was included in the model, this factor became highly significant (relative risk, 5.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.83 to 13.75; p < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Fever following fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a common event in immunocompetent children and is not associated with bacteremia. Risks to develop this complication are age < 2 years, positive bacterial cultures in BAL fluid, and abnormal bronchoscopic findings.

Bacteremia↗

Evidence against routine scheduling of surveillance bronchoscopy after stent insertion.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine whether routine scheduling of surveillance flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is warranted within 2 to 3 months after silicone stent insertion for central airway obstruction. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: University medical center. PATIENTS: All patients with silicone stents placed for benign or malignant tracheobronchial obstruction during a 3-year period. METHODS: Incidence of stent-related complications, new respiratory symptoms, and need for therapeutic bronchoscopic intervention were noted in patients undergoing surveillance bronchoscopy (SFFB) and emergency bronchoscopy (EFFB), defined as flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy prompted by onset of new symptoms before the date of scheduled SFFB. RESULTS: One hundred one silicone stents were inserted in 88 patients (47 with cancer, 41 with benign disease). Eighteen patients died within 2 months and had no bronchoscopy. Seventy patients underwent either SFFB or EFFB. Stent-related complications were detected in 9 of 31 asymptomatic patients (29%) undergoing SFFB; all had received tumor-specific therapy after stent insertion (in 7 of 8 patients [88%] reporting new respiratory symptoms at the time of SFFB, and in 26 of 31 patients [84%] undergoing EFFB). Overall, stent-related complications were detected in nine asymptomatic patients (10% of total), of which only four patients (5% of total, but 13% of all asymptomatic patients) required therapeutic interventions. CONCLUSION: Routine SFFB within 2 to 3 months after stent insertion did not detect a high incidence of stent-related complications among patients without new respiratory symptoms.

Aged↗