Bronchoscopy Findings during Percutaneous Dilation Tracheostomy: A Single Tertiary Medical Center Experience

Percutaneous dilation tracheostomy (PDT) is a common procedure in intensive care units. Bronchoscopy has been recommended to guide PDT to decrease complication rates, but no study has analyzed bronchoscopy outcomes during PDT. In this retrospective study, we analyzed bronchoscopy findings and clinical outcomes during PDT. We collected data on all patients who underwent PDT between May 2018 and February 2021. All PDT operations were guided by bronchoscopy, and we assessed the airway to the third order of the bronchi. Forty-one patients who underwent PDT were included in this study. The average duration of PDT was 102.8 ± 34.6 s, and the average duration of bronchoscopy was 49.8 ± 43.8 s. No complications related to bronchoscopy and no significant changes in gas exchange or ventilator parameters were noted after the procedure. Fifteen patients (36.6%) exhibited abnormal bronchoscopy findings, including two patients (13.3%) with intra-airway mass lesions and obvious airway obstruction. None of the patients with intra-airway masses could be liberated from mechanical ventilation. This study observed a non-negligibly high incidence of unexpected endotracheal or endobronchial masses in patients with chronic respiratory failure during PDT, and a high rate of weaning failure was noted in these patients. The completion of bronchoscopy during PDT may provide additional clinical benefits.