Chest surgery clinics of North America
-
Fiberoptic bronchoscopy is an excellent tool for the evaluation of the airways and lung parenchyma. The history of flexible bronchoscopy, anesthesia, technique, indications, contraindications, and complications in using the bronchoscopy are reviewed.
-
The fiberoptic bronchoscope has contributed greatly to the practice of anesthesiology over the past 30 years. It has become an indispensable tool in the approach to the difficult airway, as well as the placement and positioning of double-lumen tubes for thoracic surgery. The equipment, preparation, and methods for using the endoscope in anesthesia, are presented here.
-
With the prevalence of bronchopulmonary disease in the intensive care unit, bronchoscopy has become an essential tool for the management of patients. This article describes the variety of situations in which bronchoscopy can be of assistance in establishing diagnosis, managing the difficult airway, and supporting the patient's suffering of trauma, hemoptysis, atelectasis, and pneumonia.