COVID-19: BRONCHOSCOPY
source: emcrit.org
COVID-19: BRONCHOSCOPY
- Risks of bronchoscopy:
- May cause some deterioration in clinical condition (due to instillation of saline and sedation).
- Enormous risk of transmission to providers.
- Considerable resource allocation (requires N95 respirators, physicians, respiratory therapists) – all resources which will be in slim supply during an epidemic.
- Benefits of bronchoscopy:
- Benefit of diagnosing COVID-19 is dubious at this point (given that treatment is primarily supportive).
- Bottom line on bronchoscopy?
- Bronchoscopy might be considered in situations where it would otherwise be performed (e.g. patient with immunosuppression with concerns for Pneumocystis pneumonia or fungal pneumonia).
- Bronchoscopy should not be done for the purpose of ruling COVID-19 in or out (as this entails risk with no definite benefits)(Bouadma et al.).
