Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2016 May;4(3):181-187. 10.4168/aard.2016.4.3.181.

Flexible bronchoscopy in 76 children: Indications, yield, and complications

• Bae WR
• Moon KP
• Bang KW
• Kim HS
• Chun YH
• Yoon JS
• Kim HH
• Kim JT

• KMID: 2165079
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2016.4.3.181

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was performed to investigate the indications, yield, and complications of flexible bronchoscopy for respiratory disease in children compared to earlier domestic studies and to examine if any differences existed in comparison to international studies.
METHODS
The medical records of 100 cases of flexible bronchoscopy that were performed in 76 patients at the Department of Pediatrics of The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital from June 16, 2010 to August 6, 2013 were reviewed.
RESULTS
A total of 76 patients (50 males and 26 females) were included in the study. The most common indication of flexible bronchoscopy was persistent pneumonia or pneumonia in immunocompromised patients (53 cases). The object of flexible bronchoscopy was accomplished in 65 of 100 cases, and, the treatment was changed in 24 of 65 cases. The most common abnormal finding was tracheomalacia that was found in 18 cases. In 67 cases where bronchoalveolar lavage was performed, bacteria were identified in 47 cases, fungi in 9 cases, and viruses in 22 cases. Complications occurred in 8 cases.
CONCLUSION
Compared to earlier domestic studies, there was no significant change in diagnostic approaches and therapeutic improvement. However, this study showed that flexible bronchoscopy appears to be safe in patients with hemato-oncologic disease. Compared to international studies, the occurrence of complications due to flexible bronchoscopy was relatively low.

Keyword

Flexible bronchoscopy; Child; Indication; Yield; Complication

MeSH Terms

Bacteria
Bronchoalveolar Lavage
Bronchoscopy*
Child*
Fungi
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Korea
Male
Medical Records
Pediatrics
Pneumonia
Seoul
Tracheomalacia

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