Abstract
Background: Fibre-optic bronchoscopy (FOB) is a research tool in asthma and COPD with a good safety record in stable patients. There is no data regarding adverse events for FOB in patients with asthma/COPD exacerbations.
Aims: To evaluate the safety of FOB in subjects participating in experimental rhinovirus infection studies.
Methods: We reviewed the records of these subjects from a single centre since 2000. Subjects had FOB at baseline and convalescence (stable) and during the virus-induced exacerbation (infection) with biopsies, brushings and BAL.
Results: The clinical characteristics of the subjects are in Table 1 . There were no adverse events in the asthma studies and 3 in the COPD studies. Two subjects developed lower respiratory tract infections requiring antibiotics. In 1 subject (non-smoker) this occurred at the infection FOB and the subject was withdrawn. In the other subject (COPD) this occurred at the baseline FOB and he continued in the study and had 2 other uneventful FOB. One subject (smoker) had FOB terminated due to hypoxia.
| COPD studies | Asthma studies | ||||
| Non-smokers (N=19) | Smokers (N=29) | COPD N=35 | Controls (N=40) | Asthma (N=50) | |
| Total bronchoscopies | 38 | 68 | 62 | 109 | 110 |
| Stable | 19 | 40 | 43 | 59 | 50 |
| Infection | 19 | 28 | 19 | 50 | 60 |
| Age | 58.95 (±1.59) | 52.10 (±1.41) | 59.51 (±1.11) | 28.30 (±1.65) | 31.60 (±1.54) |
| Sex M:F | 9:10 | 17:12 | 22:13 | 23:17 | 16:21 |
| Smoking history | / | 33.41 (±1.77) | 43.74 (±3.33) | / | / |
| FEV1 (litres) | 3.06 (±0.22) | 3.27 (±0.124) | 2.05 (±0.085) | ||
| FEV1 % | 106 (±3.79) | 102 (±2.48) | 67.46 (±1.82) | 102.9 (±1.8) | 91.30 (±2.23) |
| SABA only (%) | / | / | 35 | / | 24 (48) |
| ICS | / | / | / | / | 26 (52) |
| Mean ICS (BDP equivalent) | / | / | / | / | 519 (±107.5) |
Clinical Characteristics of Study Subjects
Conclusions: The incidence of adverse events in research FOB in asthma and COPD exacerbations is low.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016
