Open AccessFlexible bronchoscopy in a tertiary healthcare facility: a review of indications and outcomes
Author(s) -
Jane Afriyie-Mensah,
Ernest Kwarteng,
John Tetteh,
Lawrence Sereboe,
Audrey Forson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ghana medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.294
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2616-163X
pISSN - 0016-9560
DOI - 10.4314/gmj.v55i1.4
Subject(s) - medicine , bronchoscopy , retrospective cohort study , bronchiectasis , lung cancer , sputum , pneumonia , surgery , flexible bronchoscopy , teaching hospital , radiology , general surgery , lung , tuberculosis , pathology
Objectives: Flexible Fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) is a major diagnostic and therapeutic tool employed largely in respiratory medicine but its use in our country has been quite limited. We performed a retrospective review of the indications, overall diagnostic yield and safety of FFB at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).Study Design: Retrospective studyStudy Setting: Cardiothoracic Unit, Korle-Bu Teaching HospitalStudy Participants: All bronchoscopy records from January 2017 - December 2018Interventions: Eight-five bronchoscopy reports generated over a 2-year period were reviewed. Using a data extraction form, patient’s demographic details, indications for FFB, sedation given, specimen obtained and results of investigation, and complications encountered were recorded and entered into SPSS version 22. Descriptive analysiswas performed and presented as means and percentages.Results: Suspected lung cancer was the predominant indication for bronchoscopy requests (55.3%). Diagnostic yield of endobronchial biopsy was 86.7% increased to 93.3% when biopsy was combined with bronchial washing cytology. Bronchial washing geneXpert was positive in 20.8% of sputum negative cases, and 20.7% of patients with unresolved pneumonia and bronchiectasis had a positive microbial yield. Overall mild complications occurred in 5.9% of patients with no mortality.Conclusion: Flexible bronchoscopy has a significantly high diagnostic yield, particularly in evaluating lung cancers and undiagnosed lung infections with minimal associated complications, hence increasing its availability in the country and widening the diagnostic scope at the cardiothoracic unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.