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Bronchoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey study
Benan Çağlayan1, Ferhan Karataş1, Sinem İliaz1
1Department of Chest Diseases, Koç University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Background:
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the attitudes and behaviors of physicians performing bronchoscopy during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Methods:
Between March 2020 and May 2020, a total of 153 physicians were included in the study. An invitation letter for the participation in the study with a structured questionnaire of 18 questions were sent to the mail groups twice with five-day intervals. Participation in the study was allowed, until the third day after the second mail was sent.
Results:
All participants completed the questionnaire. According to the results, 33% of the physicians did not perform bronchoscopy and the majority of the physicians performed very few procedures during the outbreak, although the participants mostly worked at the tertiary hospitals (mean: 7.2±9.3). A total of 20% of the physicians performed bronchoscopy in potential or proven COVID-19 patients. Almost all of the physicians who participated in the survey reported the use of personal protective equipment such as masks and goggles during the procedure. During the pandemic, 9.7% of the physicians who performed bronchoscopy to potential or proven COVID-19 patients and 4.1% of the participants who did not perform bronchoscopy to any potential or proven COVID-19 patients were found to be infected with the virus (p>0.05).
Conclusion:
Physicians who perform bronchoscopy during pandemic act in accordance with the recommendations of guidelines. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates of the teams who performed and did not perform bronchoscopy in potential or proven COVID-19 patients in our study, the high rate of personal protective equipment utilization might have played a role in this result.
Insights
Physicians largely followed guidelines for bronchoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic, with high personal protective equipment use. Bronchoscopy in potential COVID-19 patients did not significantly increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Infectious Diseases
- Medical Practice
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted medical procedures, including bronchoscopy.
- Physician attitudes and behaviors regarding bronchoscopy during this period required evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess physician practices and attitudes towards performing bronchoscopy during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- To investigate the correlation between bronchoscopy procedures and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates among healthcare professionals.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire-based study involving 153 physicians between March and May 2020.
- Data collection via a 18-question survey, administered twice with a five-day interval.
- Analysis of physician practices, personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization, and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates.
Main Results:
- A majority of physicians performed fewer bronchoscopies during the pandemic, with 33% not performing the procedure at all.
- Only 20% of physicians performed bronchoscopy on patients with potential or confirmed COVID-19.
- High utilization of PPE (masks, goggles) was reported by nearly all physicians.
- No statistically significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 infection rates was observed between physicians who performed bronchoscopy on COVID-19 patients and those who did not (9.7% vs. 4.1%, p>0.05).
Conclusions:
- Physicians adhered to established guidelines for performing bronchoscopy during the pandemic.
- High rates of PPE use may have contributed to the lack of significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
- The study suggests that bronchoscopy can be performed with appropriate precautions during pandemics without a statistically significant increase in transmission risk.
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