The hemorrhage risk of patients undergoing bronchoscopic examinations or treatments

In recent years, bronchoscopic procedures have become more complex and sophisticated, as well as more extensively used. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, particularly the hemorrhage risk, of patients undergoing bronchoscopic examinations or treatments.

This retrospective study consisted of inpatients and outpatients who underwent bronchoscopic examinations or treatments in our respiratory department between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2019. We collected and analyzed the patient and bronchoscopic data.

Among the 45,734 patients who underwent diagnostic or therapeutic bronchoscopies, the severe complication rate was 0.85%, and the mortality was 0.01%. The severe complication rates varied significantly among the types of bronchoscopic procedures; the rate was higher with therapeutic bronchoscopies than with exploratory examination or biopsy bronchoscopies. Bleeding was the most common severe complication, and it occurred more frequently with biopsies in the left upper lobe and the bronchus intermedius, but its incidence decreased as the number of biopsies increased above one.

Although bronchoscopic procedures have become more complex and sophisticated, bronchoscopies are still well tolerated. However, precautions should be taken because hemorrhaging and pneumothorax remain potential complications, and they can be fatal.