Who Needs Bronchoscopy?
The most common reason why your doctor may decide to
do a bronchoscopy is if you have an abnormal chest x ray or
computed tomography (CT) scan. These tests may show a tumor, a collapsed lung,
or signs of an infection.
A chest x ray takes a picture of the
heart and lungs. A CT scan uses special x-ray equipment to take pictures of the
inside of your body.
Other reasons for bronchoscopy include if you're
coughing up blood or if you have a cough that has lasted more than a few weeks.
The procedure also can be done to remove something
that's stuck in an airway (like a piece of food), to place medicine in the lung
to treat a lung problem, or to insert a stent (small tube) in an airway to hold
it open when a tumor or other condition causes a blockage.
Bronchoscopy also can be used to check for swelling
in the upper airways and vocal cords of people who were burned around the
throat area or inhaled smoke from a fire.
In children, the procedure is most often used to
remove something blocking an airway. In some cases, it's used to find out
what's causing a cough that has lasted for at least a few weeks. |