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Pre-operative nasal probe tests with adrenaline and lidocaine ease insertion during flexible bronchoscopy and reduce
Wenjun Zhu1, Yuchen Zhang2, Jingyu Shi1
1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
Background:
Nasal insertion is the preferred method for non-intubated patients in flexible bronchoscopy; however, the relatively narrow nasal cavity results in difficulties related to bronchoscope insertion. This study aimed to investigate whether pre-operative nasal probe tests could reduce the time to pass the glottis, improve the first-pass success rate and patients' tolerance, and reduce postoperative bleeding.
Methods:
This three-arm prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary hospital between May and October 2020. Three hundred patients requiring diagnosis and treatment using flexible bronchoscopy were randomly allocated to three groups: control group, simple cotton bud detection group (CD group), and adrenaline + lidocaine detection group (AD group). The primary outcome was the time to pass the glottis. Secondary outcomes included the first-pass success rate, the patients' tolerance scores, and post-operative bleeding. One-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, and Bonferroni's multiple comparison tests were used in this study.
Results:
In total, 189 men and 111 women were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of 55.72 ± 12.86 years. The insertion time was significantly shorter in the AD group than in the control group (18.00 s [12.00-26.50 s] vs . 24.00 s [14.50-45.50 s], P = 0.005). Both the AD (99% vs . 83%, χ2 = 15.62, P < 0.001) and CD groups (94% vs . 83%, χ2 = 5.94, P = 0.015) had a significantly higher first-pass success rate than the control group. Compared with the control group, post-operative bleeding (1% vs . 13%, χ2 = 11.06, P < 0.001) was significantly lower in the AD group. However, no significant difference was found in the patients' tolerance scores.
Conclusions:
Pre-operative nasal cavity probe tests especially with adrenaline and lidocaine during flexible bronchoscopy can significantly reduce the time to pass the glottis, improve the first-pass success rate, and reduce post-operative nasal bleeding. Pre-operative nasal probe tests are recommended as a time-saving procedure for patients undergoing flexible bronchoscopy.
Trial Registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR2000032668; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=53321 .
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