AN AUDIT OF COMPLICATIONS DURING VARIOUS FLEXIBLE BRONCHOSCOPIC INTERVENTIONS: A 4-YEARS EXPERIENCE IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL.

Abstract

Objective: To study the complication rate during a variety of bronchoscopic interventions.
Methods: An observational and descriptive study which analyzed 592 patients undergoing
flexible bronchoscopic interventions for different indications in our department from August 2012
to June 2016. Severe complications associated with the bronchoscopic interventions were
studied.
Results: A total of 592 patients were included. The major indication remained persistent lung
infiltration in 85% patients, mediastinal lymphadenopathy in 4%, 3% had interstitial lung disease,
hemoptysis in 2%, foreign body in 2%. Significant hemorrhage >50mls, occurred in 20 (3.37%)
patients, mostly during endobronchial biopsies. Two out of total three pneumothorax occurred
during TBB. Bronchospasm occurred in 22 (<3.7%) cases, mostly during BAL. Seizures and
drowsiness occurred in 02 (0.5%) patients. Hypoxemia (SpO2<90%) was observed in 18 (3%)
patients, mostly during BAL and EBB. 04 (0.67%) patients had supra-ventricular arrhythmias. 14
(2.4%) cases reported fever within 24 hours of procedure, out of which 07 (1.2%) had a new
infiltrate/pneumonia on chest x-ray. One patient suffered myocardial infarction after 4 hours of the
endobronchial biopsy.
Conclusion: Flexible bronchoscopy is a safe procedure with a low complication rate even during
a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.