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The difficult airway is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Its identification allows developing strategies to ensure that a patient who requires it is intubated and ventilated. Intubation with bronchoscope is one of the techniques of choice, and is performed with the patient without muscle relaxation, in spontaneous ventilation [1]. Functional anatomy of the upper airway may differ when the patient is relaxed or spontaneously ventilated [2]. We present the case of a 58-year-old male patient, smoker of 60 pack-years, snorer, hypertensive and overweight, who underwent a bronchoscopy for hemoptysis, in spontaneous ventilation, and under deep sedation with propofol (Video 1 & 2).

Objective: To evaluate current practices in sedation for bronchoscopy in Latin America. Methods: This was an anonymous survey of select members of the Latin American Thoracic Association. The questionnaire, made available online from November of 2015 through February of 2016, was designed to collect data on demographic characteristics; type of facility (public or private); type/volume of bronchoscopies; type of sedation; and type of professional administering the sedation. Results: We received 338 completed questionnaires from 19 countries; 250 respondents (74.0%) were male. The mean respondent age was 36.0 ± 10.5 years. Of the 338 respondents, 304 (89.9%) were pulmonologists; 169 (50.0%) worked at public facilities; and 152 (45.0%) worked at teaching facilities. All of the respondents performed diagnostic fiberoptic bronchoscopy, 206 (60.9%) performed therapeutic fiberoptic bronchoscopy, 125 (37.0%) performed rigid bronchoscopy, 37 (10.9%) performed endobronchial ultrasound, and 3 (0.9%) performed laser therapy/thermoplasty/cryotherapy. Sedation for bronchoscopy was employed by 324 respondents (95.6%). Of the 338 respondents, 103 (30.5%) and 96 (28.4%) stated, respectively, that such sedation should “usually” and “never” be administered by a bronchoscopist; 324 (95.9%) supported training bronchoscopists in sedation. Sedation administered by a bronchoscopist was reported by 113 respondents, conscious sedation being employed by 109 (96.2%). The use of benzodiazepines, propofol, and opiates was reported, respectively, by 252 (74.6%), 179 (52.9%), and 132 (39.0%) of the 338 respondents. Deep sedation and general anesthesia were more common at private facilities. Conclusions: The consensus seems to be that a well-trained bronchoscopist can safely administer sedation for bronchoscopy. However, approximately 40% of bronchoscopists do not do so regularly.