Risk of bleeding in transbronchial biopsies in patients with pulmonary hypertension

This study aimed to identify key risk factors associated with bleeding after transbronchial biopsies in patients living in Bogotá, Colombia (2,640 m above sea level). A retrospective cohort study was conducted in adult patients who underwent bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsies. Postbronchoscopy bleeding was classified according to the British Thoracic Society criteria. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between the variables and postbronchoscopy bleeding. Among 208 participants (54.3% male, median age 69 years, IQR 56–77), bleeding occurred in 78 procedures (37.5%), most of which were mild (76.9%). A moderate to high probability of pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography was found in 31.2% of patients; a high probability of pulmonary hypertension on computed tomography scan was found in 66.8% of patients. No significant associations were found between bleeding risk and a moderate to high probability of pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.28–2.15; p = 0.896) or a high probability on computed tomography (OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.29–1.49; p = 0.848). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was associated with postbronchoscopy bleeding (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.26–6.19; p = 0.012). The results support that the probability of pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography or computed tomography is not associated with postbronchoscopy bleeding but suggest that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a relevant factor to consider.