title: Cross-Sectional Survey on Bronchoscopy in Germany--The Current Status of Clinical Practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bronchoscopy is an integral part of pulmonary medicine. In recent years, a series of new technologies have evolved. It is to assume that significant changes have also occurred in clinical practice. We conducted a nationwide survey to evaluate the current status of care and to compare it with earlier reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  A standard questionnaire was sent to 1875 institutions to assess the clinical practice of bronchoscopy in Germany with respect to general issues, education, sedation/anaesthesia and technical aspects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The returned questionnaires cover 301,965 bronchoscopies, performed by 2158 physicians over 12 months, making it the largest survey to date. The proportion of rigid bronchoscopies has decreased and amounts to 7.3% at present. Atropine as a premedication is hardly used any more. Sedation is routinely applied in 88% of flexible bronchoscopies, for which a combination of propofol and midazolam is preferred by most institutions (41.3%), followed by propofol monotherapy (28.3%). 74.4% of institutions accept aspirin for transbronchial biopsy, 8.1% dual platelet inhibition. 62.4% of all institutions perform airway recanalisation, favouring cryotherapy and argon plasma coagulation. 9.1% of bronchoscopies are supported by endobronchial ultrasound.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to preceding surveys, the experience of bronchoscopists, especially regarding interventional procedures, has increased. Endobronchial ultrasound has become a standard of care, as has patient sedation with propofol.
authors.affiliation: 1. Medizinische Klinik, Pneumology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hautmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hetzel
authors.affiliation: Pneumology and Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, Thorax Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
authors.affiliation: Lungenklinik Hemer, Hemer, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stanzel
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik III, Pneumologie, Klinikum Nürnberg, Universitätsklinik der Paracelsus Medizinischen Privatuniversität, Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeinmedizin, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: 1. Medizinische Klinik, Pneumology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dirschinger
authors.affiliation: 1. Medizinische Klinik, Pneumology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poszler
mesh_terms: D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019160:Endosonography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014600:Utilization Review; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data