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Bronchoscopy is an endoscopic technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument ( bronchoscope ) is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a tracheostomy .
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), also known as bronchoalveolar washing, is a diagnostic method of the lower respiratory system in which a bronchoscope is passed through the mouth or nose into an appropriate airway in the lungs, with a measured amount of fluid introduced and then collected for examination.
Evaluation by means of bronchoscopy can be difficult and time consuming and is best performed under general anesthesia. Casts can be removed mechanically by bronchoscopy or physical therapy. High-frequency chest wall oscillation can also be used to vibrate the chest wall at a high frequency to try to loosen and thin the casts.
In a progressive TBM case symptoms include: shortness of breath; a cough; mucus build up; stridor (a wheeze-like sound on breathing out) difficulty in breathing; bluish coloration to skin around the nose and mouth [3] Chronic cough [4] Symptoms may become worse if the patient is stressed, sick, lying down, or forcing a cough.
A condition called tracheo-bronchitis can be caused, when the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi swell. A collapsed trachea is formed as a result of defect in the cartilage, that makes the cartilage unable to support the trachea and results in dry hacking cough.
Fluid analysis from the lavage extracted from the airways on bronchoscopy often reveals a total elevation in cell count in addition to an elevation in the percentage of T lymphocytes. This is a good way to help exclude other similar lung diseases like sarcoidosis , infection and Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis .
Bronchoscopy According to the American Heart Association, bronchoscopy is a reliable method used to visualize the cause of choking when not resolved via oxygen and supportive care. [23] Bronchoscopy also is a crucial tool in foreign body removal after supportive care has been provided and the person who is choking is stable. [24]
Basic human airway anatomy. Objects can enter the trachea and lungs via the mouth or nose. Signs and symptoms of foreign body aspiration vary based on the site of obstruction, the size of the foreign body, and the severity of obstruction. [2] 20% of foreign bodies become lodged in the upper airway, while 80% become lodged in a bronchus. [6]