Bronchoscopy is a commonly performed procedure for inpatients. It is routinely done for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The physician in this procedure inserts the bronchoscopy tube that has a camera at its tip to visualize the airways and detect possible pathologies. When needed, he/she can take samples (biopsies), perform brochoalveolar lavage, remove foreign bodies, or relieve airway obstructions.
The usual method of Bronchoscopic Anesthesia (BA) is conscious sedation combined with local anesthesia as it's more comfortable for the patients, with less chances of lidocaine toxicity. Local anesthesia is classically done using lidocaine injected through the bronchoscope's working channel. As the operator starts from the upper airway, they anesthetize each part as they go down to examine the lungs. The lidocaine will be delivered to the airway as it drips out of the working channel into the airway part closest to it. Side effects of this method is cough with varying frequencies/severity that may sometimes hinder the procedure.
Recently, a spray catheter was designed and used, but mainly for EBUS (Endobronchial Ultrasound) and not for bronchoscopy.
