lung and airway disorders
Bronchoscopy
Introduction
Bronchoscopy is a direct visual examination of the voice box (larynx) and airways through a viewing tube (a bronchoscope). A bronchoscope, a thin viewing tube with a light, has a camera at the end that allows a doctor to look down through the larger airways (bronchi) into the lungs. Doctors can also pass small tools through the bronchoscope to allow them to take samples of lung or airway tissue to help diagnose lung disorders and to treat some lung disorders. Doctors pass the bronchoscope through the person's nose or mouth, down the windpipe, and into the airways. Bronchoscopes may be Flexible Rigid Most bronchoscopy procedures, particularly those used for diagnosis, are done using a flexible bronchoscope. Some diagnostic and therapeutic procedures require the use of a rigid bronchoscope and are done under general anesthesia in a hospital. For example, removing a foreign object, controlling bleeding, or widening an airway may be best done through a rigid metal bronchoscope in an operating room. Most procedures done with a flexible bronchoscope can be done in an outpatient setting, meaning the person is not admitted to the hospital. Sometimes the person is sedated before the procedure, and a topical (nasal and/or inhaled) anaesthetic is used. (See also Medical History and Physical Examination for Lung Disorders and To view the airways directly, a doctor passes a flexible bronchoscope through a person's nostril or into the mouth and down into the airways. The circular inset shows the doctor's view. A bronchoscope can be used to Assess the airways and voice box (larynx) for injury in people who have been burned or may have inhaled smoke Determine the cause of lung infections (such as pneumonia) if there is concern that the cause is unusual bacteria or may be difficult to treat (for example, in people who have Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection or other Examine airways and take tissue specimens from areas that may be cancerous Investigate a source of bleeding in the lungs Bronchoscopy can help doctors treat certain conditions. For example, the bronchoscope can be used to Be a guide over which a tube can be inserted to assist breathing ( Mechanical Ventilation ) Place medications or substances in specific areas of the lung Remove secretions, blood, pus, and foreign bodies For at least 6 hours before bronchoscopy, the person should not eat or drink. Sedation is often given to people having flexible bronchoscopy, and general anesthesia is usually given to those undergoing rigid bronchoscopy. In flexible bronchoscopy, the throat and nasal passage are sprayed with an anesthetic, and the bronchoscope is passed through a nostril, mouth, or breathing tube and into the airways of the lungs. After bronchoscopy, the person is observed for 2 to 4 hours. If a tissue specimen was removed, a chest x-ray may be taken to check for complications, such as bleeding or Pneumothorax (air in the chest but outside the lungs). 