Age not a barrier to fiberoptic bronchoscopy

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Elderly patients do not have an increased risk of developing a fever or pneumonia following examination with a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope, the results of a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggest.

Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is used to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It consists of tube less than one-half inch wide and about two feet long that is passed through the nose or mouth so the doctor can view the lungs.

Although it is considered to be safe and effective, with few cases of adverse effects reported, some studies have found it may increase the risk of fever or pneumonia, and this risk may increase with advancing age.

Therefore, Dr. Hiroaki Satoh and colleagues from the University of Tsukuba, Japan, examined the frequency of fever and pneumonia after bronchoscopy in 358 patients, of whom 165 (46.1 percent) were 70 years of age or older. The researchers also collected data on the reason for the procedures, abnormal findings, sampling procedures and final diagnosis.

There were no significant differences between patients older than 70 and those younger than 70 in the reasons for bronchoscopy or in abnormal bronchoscopic findings. Elderly patients also did not have to undergo more procedures. However, a diagnosis of lung cancer was significantly more common in the elderly patients.

Overall, 24 patients (6.7 percent) developed fever after the test and 20 (5.6 percent) developed pneumonia. Dr. Satoh's team found that the elderly patients were actually less likely to develop a fever than were the younger patients (3.6 percent versus 9.3 percent). Also, the rates of pneumonia after bronchoscopy were comparable in the two age groups -- 4.2 percent in the older patients and 6.7 percent in the younger patients.

The team concludes that patient age should not be considered to be a limiting factor in the decision of whether to perform a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatric Society, May 2006.