[Diagnostic and therapeutic applications of bronchoscopy (author's transl)]

The development of therapeutic bronchoscopy into diagnostic bronchoscopy is described. Based on a personal experience of more than 35,000 bronchoscopies, attention is given to some important points in diagnosis and therapy. In diagnosis, these factors include: 1) color of mucosa, 2) structure of cartilage, 3) minimal tissue changes (nodules, vessels, folds), 4) tonus, 5) secretion, 6) miscellaneous peculiarities. Therapeutic studies involve: 1) recanalisation (from secretion to foreign body and tumor), 2) scrubbing (in treatment of fibrinous bronchitis and tracheitis, 3) bougies, 4) irrigation, 5) washing (for status asthmaticus, aspiration of gastric contents, etc.), 6) tamponade for persistent hemoptysis.