Bronchoscopy in octogenarians

SIR—Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) is an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool and is considered to be a safe procedure [1]. Factors that may increase the risk of FOB include the general condition of the patient, the specific procedure performed, available facilities, skills and experience of the medical personnel [1–5]. The reported frequency of complications associated with FOB varies between 0.3 and 30% [1–5], however, the definition of complications varies between studies. There is a high prevalence of respiratory diseases in the elderly, and FOB is often indicated in these patients. Only a few studies evaluating FOB in the elderly have been reported [6–13]. Most of these studies conclude that elderly patients tolerate bronchoscopy as well as younger patients and that FOB is safe and has a high diagnostic yield. However, these studies include only a small number of patients over 80 years of age. In the present study, we evaluate the safety, diagnostic and therapeutic yield of FOB in patients aged 80 years and older, and compare these with procedures performed in younger patients.