Bronchoscopy Applications

Bronchoscopy has been a common procedure in the ICU for years, and it's generally been done the same way for a long time. Intensivists use a re-usable bronchoscope—whenever it's available, sterilized, and reprocessed—to monitor critical patients' airways. But now, some intensivists are turning towards disposable bronchoscopes as they become more widely available. This article takes a look at why.

The harmful effects of e-cigarettes on lung function were isolated via bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage, or BAL, with fluid specimens collected by clinical teams caring for hospitalized patients. BAL fluid specimens from 29 patients had extremely high levels of vitamin E acetate.

Most physicians surveyed in eight hospitals across four countries preferred the maneuverability of a single-use bronchoscope in both therapeutic and intubation procedures.

Several procedural challenges contribute to failed BAL sampling in the ICU or bronch suite. This white paper offers further insight into how to improve workflow and be more successful in sampling.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness of the potential for disease transmission via aerosolization during bronchoscopy. This video demonstration provides advice for how to limit risk during bronchoscopy of ill patients.

Creating a surgical tent using disposable drapes is a relatively simple technique to protect operating room personnel, according to the authors of a new research paper on ways to improve safety for healthcare staffers treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As COVID-19 attacks the lungs and respiratory systems of those infected, respiratory therapists are often the ones to intubate patients and operate ventilators. Doing so puts them in harm’s way — at the bedside of an infected patient.

The consensus guidelines, compiled by 30 experts and published in The Lancet, cover patient selection, timing, performance, and optimal management after tracheostomy. The novel coronavirus pandemic has led to an unprecedented number of patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

'In such a kinetic milieu, these can be expected to evolve based on an expanding evidence base, the public health burden of disease, and the availability of trained personnel or medical infrastructure,' the authors of the guidelines write.