Tracheobronchial clearance after flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy

As the tracheobronchial mucosa is vulnerable to mechanical trauma it is important to investigate whether examination with a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope (FFB) damages the respiratory mucosa. In 12 subjects, tracheobronchial clearance was measured 1 day before and 1 day after FFB performed under...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEuropean journal of respiratory diseases Vol. 64; no. 1; p. 3
Main Authors Lundgren, R, Grubbström, J, Philipson, K, Haglund, S, Mossberg, B, Camner, P
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Denmark 01.01.1983
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Bronchi - diagnostic imaging
Bronchi - injuries
Bronchi - physiopathology
Bronchoscopy - adverse effects
Female
Fiber Optic Technology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Mucous Membrane
Radionuclide Imaging
Trachea - diagnostic imaging
Trachea - injuries
Trachea - physiopathology
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Summary:As the tracheobronchial mucosa is vulnerable to mechanical trauma it is important to investigate whether examination with a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope (FFB) damages the respiratory mucosa. In 12 subjects, tracheobronchial clearance was measured 1 day before and 1 day after FFB performed under topical anaesthesia. Mucociliary transport was studied by having the patients inhale 6 micron teflon particles tagged with 99mTc, and by external measurements of the radioactivity retained in the lungs. Most of the patients had a similar clearance on both days. A marked impairment after FFB was only seen in one patient. This study suggests that the tracheobronchial clearance system has a large reserve against mechanical trauma. FFB may possibly change mucociliary clearance in some patients, and this can be of practical significance in patients unable to cough.
ISSN:0106-4339