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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

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Systematic Bronchoscopy: the Four Landmarks Approach
Published on: June 23, 2023
[Flexible bronchoscopy as it is lived by the patient]
1Service de pneumo-allergologie, CHU Hédi Chaker, Tunisie. wajdi.ketata@yahoo.fr
Revue De Pneumologie Clinique
|June 14, 2011
Summary
Flexible bronchoscopy is generally safe, with rare major complications. While minor incidents and patient discomfort like cough and anxiety occur, most patients would repeat the procedure.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Gastroenterology
- Medical Procedures
Context:
- Flexible bronchoscopy is a crucial diagnostic and therapeutic tool in respiratory medicine.
- Limited studies have assessed the safety and patient experience of flexible bronchoscopy.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the safety and acceptability of flexible bronchoscopy in a cohort of 120 patients.
- To identify the incidence of complications and patient-reported discomfort during the procedure.
Summary:
- Flexible bronchoscopy resulted in no deaths or major complications in 120 patients.
- Minor incidents included hemoptysis (13.3%), epistaxis (3.3%), and desaturation (4.2%).
- Common patient-reported symptoms were cough (78.3%), dyspnea (55%), and pain (13.3%), with nausea linked to the bronchoscope pathway (P=0.002).
Impact:
- The study confirms flexible bronchoscopy is a low-risk procedure with generally mild complications.
- Patient discomforts are common but do not typically pose life-threatening risks.
- A majority of patients (67.5%) would undergo the procedure again, indicating overall acceptability despite discomforts.
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