The safety and usefulness of fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the elderly was assessed retrospectively in 204 consecutive patients aged 70 and over. One third of patients were examined as day cases. A bronchial tumour was seen in 67% patients, and biopsies showed malignancy in 78% of these cases. Certain knowledge of a diagnosis of bronchial carcinoma helped in the management of the elderly patient. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy proved to be safe in the presence of marked ventilatory impairment. A prospective questionnaire study in 114 patients showed that most patients found the procedure acceptable and would agree to a repeat if necessary and this was largely independent of age.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.