Bronchoscopy in children: Things to keep in mind

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Truong Thanh Tam - Pediatrician at the Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Bronchoscopy in children is the leading effective method for the diagnosis and intervention of respiratory diseases in children. However, this is an intervention method that penetrates the airways, so parents need to find out carefully before deciding to bronchoscopy for their baby.

Bronchoscopy in children is a procedure that uses a small endoscope with a camera and light attached to the end of the child's airway to observe and evaluate the airways (including the nasopharynx, larynx). This is a very important and necessary procedure in the exploration, diagnosis and intervention of respiratory diseases, such as aspiration of foreign bodies.
Bronchoscopy in children is indicated in the following cases:
Diagnosis of airway morphology Detecting congenital anomalies of the baby's airways Removal of airway foreign bodies due to aspiration Take swab samples bronchial culture test for bacteria for antibiotic use Biopsy of tracheobronchial mucosal cells for cytological diagnosis...

Step 1: Preparation Before bronchoscopy for children need:
Pre-blood test to check for hemostasis. This check is for safety because there is a possibility of bleeding (eg, biopsy of tissue samples) during endoscopy. Children should not be given any medications that affect blood clotting, such as aspirin and warfarin (simtrom) for a week before the endoscopy. Children should not eat or drink a few hours before the endoscopy, should only drink a sip of water 2 hours before. Parents or caregivers are required after endoscopy in case the child is sedated due to drowsiness. Step 2: Conduct bronchoscopy in children Bronchoscopy in children is conducted by a bronchoscope. There are two types of bronchoscopes: those with a metal bronchoscope (rigid tube) and a machine with a plastic tube with an optical fiber glass light guide (soft tube). Bronchoscopy techniques in children today often use flexible endoscopes.
The bronchoscopy procedure in children usually takes less than 15 minutes and is done as follows:
Before the endoscopy, the doctor may prescribe a sedative to help the baby relax and put the baby to sit. or lie on your back. Your doctor will monitor your baby's blood pressure, blood oxygen, and electrocardiogram throughout the procedure. A flexible bronchoscope is slowly inserted through your baby's nostrils and down into your baby's bronchioles. When the bronchoscope is inserted into the upper respiratory tract, the doctor will use the bronchoscope to examine the baby's airway and may perform a biopsy when finding suspicious lesions to make an accurate diagnosis. than.

Bronchoscopy should be performed in children if major respiratory syndromes are suspected including:
Stridor (Stridor) Ventilation disorders Asthmatic syndrome Hemoptysis, persistent cough of unknown cause and unresponsive to conventional treatment Abnormal findings on chest X-ray or CT scan, suspected lung cancer Have cervical or supraclavicular lymph nodes Inhalation or aspiration of foreign bodies such as sapodilla seeds, marbles, herringbone... Other indications.

Bronchoscopy in children is a fairly safe procedure and most likely does not cause any problems. However, in some cases, complications can occur after bronchoscopy in children including:
Sore throat, hoarseness or worse cough Constriction of airways, causing difficulty breathing Heart beat irregularity rhythm Causes pneumonia , which can be cured with antibiotics Allergies Some risk of bacterial infection following the endoscope into the throat and lungs In fact, serious complications from bronchoscopy In children caused is very rare. If after the procedure, the baby has symptoms such as: difficulty breathing, wheezing, bloody sputum, fever, chest pain, it is necessary to notify the doctor immediately.
Currently, bronchoscopy is a very necessary technique in the diagnosis and intervention of respiratory diseases in children. Many children's lives have been saved as well as diagnosed and treated effectively thanks to this method.