Use of the paediatric bronchoscope, flexible and rigid, in 51 European centres.
We have undertaken a survey to establish current practices and differences in the use of bronchoscopes in children in European centres. A questionnaire was sent to all 220 members of the Paediatric Assembly of the European Respiratory Society (ERS). The questions concerned the following points: indications for bronchoscopy; site of bronchoscopy; type of sedation; any oxygen supplementation during the procedure; number of procedures performed in the previous 12 months; number of procedures performed in the neonatal intensive care unit; number of bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs); side-effects during and after the procedures; and diagnostic yield. Fifty one European centres (40.8% of the European centres contacted) took part in the study. A total of 7,446 bronchoscopies had been performed in the last 12 months: 4,587 using the flexible bronchoscope and 2,859 using the rigid bronchoscope. At centres using only the fibreoptic bronchoscope, the most frequent indication was "recurrent/persistent pneumonia" (17%); at centres using only the rigid bronchoscope, it was "foreign body inhalation" (36.7%); at centres using both methods, the most frequent indication was "other indications" (23.9%). In 12 months, 2,231 BALs were performed: 1,419 in immunocompetent children and 812 in immunocompromised patients. In centres using only the fibreoptic bronchoscope, the highest yield was for "stridor" (81%); in centres using only the rigid bronchoscope, the highest yield was for "persistent atelectasis" (68%); and in centres using both instruments, it was for "foreign body inhalation" (93%). The results of the study suggest that bronchoscopy in children is now a well-established procedure at several European centres, while others are just beginning to use this technique.
Barbato
A
A
Dept of Pediatrics, University of Padova, Italy.
Magarotto
M
M
Crivellaro
M
M
Novello
A
A
Cracco
A
A
de Blic
J
J
Scheinmann
P
P
Warner
J O
JO
Zach
M
M
D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D020680:Bronchoscopes; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005060:Europe; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000473:pathology; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires