RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Incidence of bacteremia following bronchoscopy with argon plasma coagulation
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP P3761
VO 42
IS Suppl 57
A1 Alexander Guber
A1 Alona Matveychuk
A1 Olga Talker
A1 David Shitrit
YR 2013
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3761.abstract
AB Background: Little information exists concerning infectious complications associated with bronchoscopy with argon plasma coagulation (APC) (Bolliger CT et al. Eur Respir J. 2002;19:356-73, Yigla M. et al. Eur Respir J. 1999;14:789–791.). This evaluation was undertaken to determine the incidence of bacteremia and infectious complications associated with APC procedures.Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing bronchoscopy with APC for treatment of endobronchial lesions were studied prospectively. Venous blood was drawn immediately after APC procedure for aerobic and anaerobic cultures. Saline washings of APC catheter were cultured. Patients with positive blood cultures underwent clinical review upon results arrival and all patients reviewed at 1 week and 3 months after APC procedure.Results: 42 patients underwent 44 APC procedures. Mean age was 66±12 years; 30 (71%) were male. 36 (86%) patients were with malignant disease and 6 (14%) with non-malignant disease. One case (2.3%) had clinically not significant bacteremia with Acinetobacter Iwolfii. APC catheter washing culture was positive in 14 (31.8%) procedures. Neither patient with the positive washing cultures had clinical infection. Phone review 1 week after the procedures revealed no complications. After 3 months eight patients (18%) died. All deaths related to the advanced lung malignancy.Conclusions: The incidence of bacteremia following APC is comparable to that of routine flexible bronchoscopy. APC does not appear to increase the risk of bacteremia compared to airway insertion of the bronchoscope. Contamination of the APC catheter with oropharyngeal commensal bacteria is common; clinically significant infection following APC procedure is rare.