Why bronchoscopy

The ability to cough, called the cough reflex, should return within 2 hours. After this, it is safe to eat and drink again. After taking a sedative, a person should avoid driving, operating machinery, and drinking alcohol for 24 hours. Most people can return to regular activities after 24 hours, but it is normal to have a sore throat and hoarseness for a few days.

Immediately after the medications wear off, the doctor may share what they saw during the procedure. Other results, including those of a biopsy, can take several days or weeks to arrive. Normal results of a bronchoscopy mean that the doctor did not see any foreign materials, blockages, or unusual cells or fluids in the bronchi.

If results are abnormal, the doctor will recommend further tests or treatments, depending on the outcome. Bronchoscopy is usually safe , but there are certain risks. Also, a person with a history of heart conditions may have an increased risk of heart attack. Rarely, a bronchoscopy can cause a lung to collapse, which is called pneumothorax. This happens if the lung is punctured during the procedure. It is more likely if a doctor is using a rigid rather than a flexible scope. Pneumothorax is serious and requires treatment.

A doctor may perform a chest X-ray after a bronchoscopy to check the lungs for signs of collapse. A bronchoscopy is a safe procedure with a low risk of serious complications. Mortality rates for both flexible and rigid bronchoscopy procedures are less than 0. Doctors commonly use local anesthesia and sedatives to keep individuals comfortable and relaxed during the examination. Scars on the lung tissue can cause shortness of breath, fever, and night sweats.

Learn more about how scarring occurs and what to do about it here. Bibasilar atelectasis is when a lung or lobe in one of the lungs collapses.

It is most common when a person is still in the hospital following a…. Restrictive lung diseases prevent the lungs from expanding fully. Some examples include sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Learn more here. What are spirometry tests and why are they performed? Learn about the procedure, how the results are read, and what other testing methods may be….

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD is a serious and chronic lung condition that affects breathing. Your mouth and possibly your nose and throat will be sprayed first with a numbing medicine.

You may also be given medicine through a vein IV to make you feel relaxed. Less often, you might be asleep under general anesthesia for the test. If you are awake, the insertion of the scope might make you cough at first. This will stop as the numbing drug begins to work. If you got a sedative, you might not remember the procedure. Your mouth and throat will probably be numb for a couple of hours. You won't be allowed to eat or drink until the numbness wears off. Once the numbness is gone, you may have a sore throat, cough, or hoarseness for the next day or so.

Because a sedative was used to help keep you more comfortable during the test, you will most likely need to arrange for a ride home after the test. Many centers will not discharge people to go home in a cab or a ridesharing service, so you might need someone to help you get home.

If transportation might be a problem, talk with your health care provider about the policy at your hospital or surgery center for using one of these services. Unlike the rigid scope, it can be moved down into the smaller airways bronchioles. The flexible bronchoscope may be used to:.

Inflammation and infections such as tuberculosis TB , pneumonia, and fungal or parasitic lung infections. Fluid put into the lungs and then removed bronchoalveolar lavage or BAL to diagnose lung disorders. In most cases, the flexible bronchoscope is used, not the rigid bronchoscope. This is because the flexible type has less risk of damaging the tissue.

People can also handle the flexible type better. And it provides better access to smaller areas of the lung tissue. Air in the space between the lung covering pleural space that causes the lung to collapse pneumothorax. Your risks may vary depending on your general health and other factors.

Ask your healthcare provider which risks apply most to you. Talk about any concerns you have. If you have high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood hypercapnia or severe shortness of breath, you may need to be on a breathing machine before the procedure. This is done so oxygen can be sent right into your lungs while the bronchoscope is in place. Give your healthcare provider a list of all of the medicines you take. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbs, and supplements.

You may need to stop certain medicines before the procedure. You will be asked to sign an informed consent document. This document explains the benefits and risks of the procedure. Make sure all of your questions are answered before you sign it.

You may have your procedure as an outpatient. This means you go home the same day. Or it may be done as part of a longer stay in the hospital. The way the procedure is done may vary. It depends on your condition and your healthcare provider's methods. In most cases, a bronchoscopy will follow this process:. You may be asked to remove your clothes. If so, you will be given a hospital gown to wear. You may be asked to remove jewelry or other objects.

You will be awake during the procedure. You will be given medicine to help you relax sedative.