Bronchoscopy

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Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy

Local anesthesia is used to relax the throat muscles. Until the anesthetic begins to work, you may feel fluid running down the back of the throat and the need to cough or gag.

Once the anesthetic takes effect, there may be sensations of pressure or mild tugging as the tube moves through the wind pipe (trachea). Although many patients feel like they might suffocate when the tube is in the throat, there is NO risk of suffocation. If you cough during the test, more anesthetic will be added.

When the anesthetic wears off, your throat may be scratchy for several days. After the test, the cough reflex will return in 1 to 2 hours. You will not be allowed to eat or drink until your cough reflex returns.

Bronchoscopy is recommended if lung disease is suspected and an inspection of the airways or a tissue sample is needed to confirm it. The test can be used to evaluate almost any disease in pulmonary medicine, including:

• Acute pulmonary eosinophilia (Loeffler's syndrome)
• Aspiration pneumonia
• Atelectasis
• Bronchial adenoma
• CMV pneumonia
• Chronic pulmonary coccidioidomycosis
• Cryptococcosis
• Disseminated tuberculosis (infectious)
• Chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis
• Metastatic cancer to the lung
• Pneumonia in immunocompromised host
• Pneumonia with lung abscess
• Pulmonary actinomycosis
• Pulmonary aspergilloma (mycetoma)
• Pulmonary aspergillosis (invasive type)
• Pulmonary histiocytosis X (eosinophilic granuloma)
• Pulmonary nocardiosis
• Pulmonary tuberculosis
• Sarcoidosis
• SVC obstruction

Bronchoscopy is also recommended if you have been coughing up blood.

Review Date: 03/02/2006
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.