PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Antoni Rosell
AU  - Alejandra Lopez
AU  - Elena Torrente
AU  - Ricard Tresseras
AU  - Alex Guarga
AU  - Joan Escarrabill
TI  - Respiratory endoscopy activity in the Catalan National Health Service
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P705
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P705.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P705.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Bronchoscopic procedures (BP) are the most widely used invasive techniques for diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases. This study aims to document the use of basic and advanced BP techniques in Catalonia (Spain).Method: An electronic survey was sent to pulmonologists in 44 acute care hospitals in Catalonia (7.5M inhab). The two main questions asked were: 1. The number of pulmonologists performing BP in 2012 and 2. The number of basic and advanced techniques used, including conventional and cryo transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA), endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), Autofluorescence Bronchoscopy (AFB) & Narrow Band Imaging (NBI), and therapeutic procedures like rigid bronchoscopy, stenting, thermal ablation or brachitherapy amongst others.Results: 36 hospitals performed 16 222 BP in 2012 (213.7 / 100 000 inhab). 77% were performed in Barcelona metropolitan area. Number of BP per hospital ranged from 20 to 1818/yr. 20 hospitals performed less than 250 BP/yr and 10 less than 100 BP/yr. Advanced bronchoscopic techniques were performed in 23% of sites. There was a significant relationship between total number of procedures and % of advanced bronchosocopic techniques (p = 0.05). TBLB and TBNA were performed in 1.289 cases (8% of all BP). AFB and NBI were performed in 583 cases (3.6% of all BP). 734 EBUS (4,5% of all BP) were performed in 9 hospitals. Less than 5% of pulmonologists performed more than 60% of BP.Conclusions: Bronchoscopic procedures are widely performed in the Catalonia, but with significant variation between centres (27.7% of hospitals perform less than 100 BP/year) and low regular dedication (40% of all procedures are performed by 95% of the pulmonologists).