A55-39 Bronchology Availability Barriers in Critical Care and the Emerging Role of Single-Use Bronchoscopes

Abstract Rationale Bronchoscope availability is a constant issue in the critical care setting particularly since reusables scopes are often shared between departments. When left unchecked, a lack of available scopes can create patient backlogs, increase pressures within the hospital, and delay the administration of lifesaving care. As the market share of single-use bronchoscopes continues to increase, so has the promise of reducing common access disruptions such as scope reprocessing, repairs, transportation, and concurrent usage. The purpose of this study was to better understand the prevalence of bronchoscope availability issues and how single-use bronchoscopes may alleviate them. Methods A survey was distributed to healthcare professionals who perform critical care bronchoscopy cases in the United States via a third-party agency. Survey questions were related to their experiences, preferences, and ideas on how to improve the critical care setting. Averages and proportions were calculated. Results 25 responses were collected from individuals who currently perform critical care bronchoscopy cases. 36% of the respondents were from private hospitals, 28% were from community urban hospitals, 24% were from academic medical centers, and 12% were from community rural hospitals. 84% (n = 21) reported having experienced delays in performing critical care bronchoscopy procedures in the past 24 months with availability issues affecting 71% (n = 15) related issues. Of these, the most common reasons listed were: bronchoscope in use for another case (57%, n = 12), bronchoscope awaiting reprocessing (33%, n = 7), bronchoscope out for repair (38%, n = 8), bronchoscope not fully functional (33%, n = 7), and delay in transporting bronchoscope to the ICU (38%, n = 8). Additionally, 88% (n = 22) reported that availability/access was either very or extremely important when it came to the selection of a bronchoscope for critical care procedures. Finally, of the 80% (n = 20) who agreed that single-use bronchoscopes would result in better care, 80% (n = 16) said they would provide quicker access. Conclusions The ever-present issue of bronchoscope availability in critical care poses not only a risk to operational efficiencies but also to the immediate care of the most vulnerable patients. Because single-use bronchoscopes bypass the timely processes required for reusables such as reprocessing, repairs, concurrent usage, and transport, they have the potential to positively impact critical care workflows and outcomes. While this study outlines many reasons for availability issues, further research should be conducted to quantify the enhanced procedural efficiencies and patient outcomes that single-use bronchoscopes may have in the critical care setting. This abstract is funded by: Ambu USA