title: Safety, usefulness and acceptability of fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the elderly.
abstract: The safety and usefulness of fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the elderly was assessed retrospectively in 204 consecutive patients aged 70 and over. One third of patients were examined as day cases. A bronchial tumour was seen in 67% patients, and biopsies showed malignancy in 78% of these cases. Certain knowledge of a diagnosis of bronchial carcinoma helped in the management of the elderly patient. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy proved to be safe in the presence of marked ventilatory impairment. A prospective questionnaire study in 114 patients showed that most patients found the procedure acceptable and would agree to a repeat if necessary and this was largely independent of age.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires