[Bronchoscopy in respiratory intensive care]

Born more than one century ago as a technique for the treatment of the respiratory emergencies due to foreign bodies inhalations, bronchoscopy plays nowadays a crucial and well-defined role in the management of the respiratory critical patient admitted in an intensive hospital setting thanks to its numerous applications both in the diagnostic and in the therapeutic fields. Despite the wide use of the bronchoscopy, especially of fibreoptic technique, it has never to be forgotten the importance of the operator's expertise specifically in this peculiar field of application in order to avoid usefulness risks and to prevent life-threatening consequences for the critical patient. The expert Pulmonologist represents the leader actor for the Clinical Governance of this branch of the Respiratory Intensive Care Medicine. In this review, the Authors examined the aspects connected with the choice of the instrument, the most clinical practice common indications, the risks and the consequences of the use of the bronchoscopy in respiratory intensive care.