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Pediatric bronchoscopy

Flexible or rigid

 

Flexible bronchoscope

 

-Local anesethia

   -mainly diagnostic purposes

   -limited intervention (suctioning)                                   

  -can be used for intubation                                              

- limited airway control

 

Indications:

  =airway obstruction                                         

   -stridor

   -noisy breathing              

   -snoring of uncertain anatomic origin            

   -persistent or recurenct wheeze.

 =Evaluation of the artificial airway

   =aid to the intubation of the difficult upper airway

   =Vocal cord paralysis

   =chronic cough

   =hemoptysis

   =suspected foreign body aspiration

 =radiographic abnormalities :

   -atelectasis

   -recurent/persistent consolidation

   -atypical and unknown infilteration

   -localized hyperinflation

 

Special procedures:

_biopsy of endobronchial lesions

_brushing or biopsy of the brochial mucosa

_bronch0alveolar lavage

_transbroncial biopsy

_adminstration of drugs

 

C/I:

  -dyspnea in non-intubated patients

  -coagulopathy

 

Risks:

- patient discomfort and transient hypoxemia.                 

-With the addition of BAL, fever 4 to 12 h after the procedure is also common.

- More serious complications

-- pneumonia, respiratory failure, life-threatening hemoptysis, pneumothorax, and death -- are rare

 

 Complication  (6.9%)                             

 . Minor complications (5.2%)        

    -moderate and transient episodes of desaturation             

    -excessive coughing isolated

   -excessive nausea reflex with coughing                   

  -transient laryngospasm                  

   -epistaxis

. Major complications ( 1.7%)

  -oxygen desaturation to <90%, either isolated or associated with:                                                                 -laryngospasm

  -coughing

  - bronchospasm

  - pneumothorax

. Transient fever after bronchoalveolar lavage 

 

Rigid Bronchoscopy

 

General anesethia

-correct ventilatory support

-safe grasping with rigid forceps

-quick removal

-blood suctionning

Indications:

  -bleeding or hemorrhage,

  - foreign body extraction                                                    

 -mucus pulgs or blood clots                                           

 -Defnition of anatomic details

 -interventional bronchoscopy (laser,stents)

Contraindications:

-Relative contraindications include

- uncontrolled coagulopathy,

-Critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation

-Acute laryngitis

-Mandibular hypoplasia

Risks:

- injury to the teeth or gums,

- tracheal or bronchial tears,

- severe bleeding.

 

 Complication rates should be < 0.1%.               

Procedure-related mortality is rare.

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