Abstract

AGUILAR RAMIREZ, MARÍA DEL PILAR et al. LA FIBROBRONCOSCOPIA EN MEDICINA CRÍTICA. Rev. Inst. Nal. Enf. Resp. Mex. [online]. 2004, vol.17, n.1, pp.7-14. ISSN 0187-7585.

Objective: To identify the indications of fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) in patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Units (ICU). Material and methods: Observational clinic study retrospective and prospective of patients hospitalized in ICU with FOB, from October 2001-September 2003. In all cases it was recorded diagnostic indication for FOB, findings, complications and ICU where it comes from. Test of proportions with confidence limits for binomial distribution (Bernoulli) was applied. Results: Of 867 FOB, 88 were performed in ICU (10.14%), 51 males, 37 females, mean age 52.35; SD 17.27; range 15-86 years old. Fifty patients came from different services IC units, central, infectology, oncology, cardiology and neurology, 38 were from Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU). In 50 cases the indication was pneumonia, 16 communitary, 12 by aspiration, 12 ventilator associated and 10 nosocomial. 15 correspond to RICU and 35 from non-pneumologic ICU. There were no significative differences. Diagnosis of the others 38 patients were 18 atelectasis, 6 malignancies, 5 hemoptysis, 3 evaluation of tracheostomy, 2 tracheoesophageal fistula, 2 tracheal stenosis, 1 lung abscess an 1 burn of airway. 65 FOB were for diagnosis, 11 therapeutics and 12 by both. Only 2 patients presented complications. No casualties were recorded. Conclusion: FOB is a safe method for diagnostic and therapeutic indications in patients in critical conditions under intensive care and make easier the decisions for clinical management, with low morbidity.

Keywords : Fiberoptic bronchoscopy; Intensive Care Units; pneumonia.