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 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.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001980:Bronchi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014132:Trachea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology