Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Anesthesia, technique and results.

During a period of three years, 256 diagnostic bronchoscopies were done with flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopes at a Veterans Administration hospital. In all of these procedures, topical cocaine hydrochloride anesthesia was used, and it proved satisfactory and free of any undesirable side effects. The peroral route using an endotracheal tube is preferred for flexible bronchofiberscopy. Fluoroscopic guidance is essential in examining peripheral lung lesions. A 70 percent positive yield was obtained for patients with peripheral carcinoma of the lung as contrasted to a 47 percent yield when the tissue specimens were obtained blindly.