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Updated: May 26, 2026

Monitoring Lung Function with Electrical Impedance Tomography in the Intensive Care Unit
Published on: September 6, 2024
[Fiberoptic bronchoscopy in a respiratory intensive care unit]
C M Lucena1, P Martínez-Olondris, J R Badia
1Servicio de Neumología, Instituto Clínico del Tórax, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias, España.
Objective:
To describe the indications, diagnostic performance and safety of fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) performed in a respiratory intensive care unit (RICU).
Design:
A prospective, observational study was carried out.
Setting:
A 6-bed RICU in a tertiary university hospital.
Patients:
Patients admitted to RICU who required FOB.
Interventions:
None.
Main Measurements:
FOB indications and complications, endoscopic procedures, time required to perform FOB.
Results:
Sixty-nine out (23%) of the 297 patients admitted to the RICU underwent a total of 107 FOB. Sixty-eight percent of FOB were performed in patients on mechanical ventilation. FOB was performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in 88 (82%) and 19 cases (18%), respectively. The study of pulmonary infiltrates was the main indication for diagnostic FOB (44 cases; 50%), particularly in immunocompromised patients (24 cases; 27%). In immunocompromised patients the diagnostic performance of FOB was significantly higher than in immunocompetent subjects (48% vs 30%; p<0.01). No major complications were recorded. Only a significant drop in PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio was observed (182 ± 74 vs 163 ± 79; p<0.005) in patients undergoing bronchoalveolar lavage. Overall mortality in patients in the RICU was 14%. In patients requiring a single FOB procedure, mortality was 25%, versus 45% among those requiring more than one FOB procedure.
Conclusions:
These results show that FOB is used commonly in the RICU. It is a safe and fast procedure that contributes significantly to clinical management. Patients requiring additional FOB during admission to the RICU show high mortality.
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