Título: A Prospective Randomized Study Comparing Manual and Wall Suction in the Performance of Bronchoalveolar Lavage

Autor: Luis M. Seijo, Javier Flandes, Maria V. Somiedo, Alba Naya, Josefina Manjón, Susana Álvarez, Iker Fernández-Navamuel

Publicación: Respiration

Fecha de publicación: 2016

Resumen: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a valuable diagnostic and research tool in patients with respiratory illnesses including interstitial lung disease, infectious diseases, and neoplasms. The volume of fluid instilled during BAL can vary according to an institution’s laboratory requirements and the type of testing requested which often in cludes cytologic assessment, microbiologic analysis and cultures, as well as flow cytometry. Recovery of BAL fluid may be performed using manual aspiration with a hand held syringe or mechanical aspiration using wall suction with a predetermined negative pressure. It is generally assumed that the quality of the procedure is directly linked to the volume of fluid recovered