Abstract： Objective To evaluate clinical outcomes of painless flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the treatment for pulmonary complications in postoperative pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 58 patients who received fiberoptic bronchoscopy for pulmonary complications after surgical repair for atrial septal defect， ventricular septal defect， tetralogy of Fallot， double outlet right ventricle or transposition of the great arteries in First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University From August 2009 to February 2012. There were 26 male patients and 32 female patients with their age ranging from 20 days to 2 years. Olympus xp-60 fiberoptic bronchoscopy was used for removal of airway secretions and bronchial alveolar lavage under anesthesia with propofol， fentanyl and lidocaine. Pulse oximetry， respiratory sound and chest X-ray changes were observed. Results The examination time of painless fiberoptic bronchoscopy was 10-25 minutes in the 58 patients. After removal of airway secretions by fiberoptic bronchoscopy， their respiratory status improved significantly， pulse oxygen saturation increased by 5%-12%， and their pulmonary crackles were significantly reduced. In 29 patients with atelectasis， their pulmonary lobes demonstrated significant reexpansion in chest X-ray reviews on the next day after fiberoptic bronchoscopy， and 8 patients received another fiberoptic bronchoscopy treatment on the next day to achieve complete pulmonary reexpansion. One patient with severe pulmonary hypertension （PH） stayed in intensive care unit （ICU） for 6 days， 3 patients with transposition of the great arteries stayed in ICU for 5 days， 3 patients with double outlet of right ventricle and moderately high PH stayed in ICU for 4 days， and all the other patients were discharged from ICU within 48 hours after admission. There was no severe complication related to fiberoptic bronchoscopy， except 2 patients with minor nasal mucosa bleeding who were cured with hemostatic drugs and local compression. Conclusion Painless flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy can significantly enhance clinical outcomes and shorten ICU stay for postoperative pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases.
Citation： WANG Siqing,LIU Hongyu,MA Liyuan,WANG Lin,ZHANG Wei.. Application of Painless Pediatric Bronchoscopy in Treatment of Pulmonary Complications of Postoperative Patients with Congenital Heart Diseases. Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 2012, 19(6): 645-647. doi: Copy