[Orotracheobronchial aspiration for bacteriologic and cytologic diagnosis]

A presently described new method for obtaining tracheal and bronchial secretions does not only represent an alternative to established methods, but also enlarges, due to its simple bedside performance, the indication for an invasive procedure, e. g. in pneumonias. Despite a transoral approach to trachea and bronchi bacterial contamination was excluded. Bacteriologic and cytologic results of orotracheobronchial aspiration in 25 patients with bronchopulmonary infections and one patient with eosinophilic pneumonia represented a valuable help for the correct diagnosis and thus for treatment.