Repair costs of reusable bronchoscopes in the intensive care unit

[摘要] Since their introduction in 1968, reusable flexible bronchoscopes (RFB) have been widely employed in diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures (1). The advent of single-use flexible bronchoscopes (SUFB) poses a challenge to this status quo as they possess several potential advantages. Because they do not need to be reprocessed, SUFB are always sterile, minimizing the risk of cross contamination or infection to both patients and staff (2). With a smaller physical footprint, they can be stored locally at the point of use, facilitating timely access during urgent or emergent situations and after regular hours. While direct comparisons in clinical pulmonology procedures are lacking, SUFB are effective in various anesthesia settings and when performing bronchoalveolar lavage research studies (3-5).

[学科分类] 呼吸医学