Flexible endoscopy with noninvasive ventilation assesses and manages
infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Abstract
Objectives Flexible endoscopy (FE) assessed the whole approachable
aeroesophageal (AE) tracks and changes of management in infants with
severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD). Methods A 10 years (2011-2020)
retrospective study of sBPD infants who had FE with and without
artificial airway in AE tracks. FE with noninvasive ventilation (FE-NIV)
of pharyngeal oxygen with nose-close and abdomen-compression was
supported. Data of found pathologies, changes of consequent management
and therapeutic interventions were collected and analyzed. Results Total
42 infants enrolled. Two scopes of 1.8mm and 2.6mm were used. FE
revealed 129 AE pathologies in 38 (90.5%) infants. Twenty-eight
(66.7%) infants detected more than one lesion. In 35 (83.3%) infants
with 111 airway lesions, bronchial granulations (28, 25.2%),
tracheomalacia (18, 16.2%) and bronchial granulations (15, 13.5%) were
the leadings. Fifteen (35.7%) infants had 18 esophageal lesions. No
significant FE-NIV complication noted. FE findings resulted consequent
changes of management in all 38 infants. Thirty-six (85.7%) infants
involved respiratory care of pressure titrations (29, 45.3%), shorten
suctioning depth (17, 26.6%), changed endotracheal or tracheostomy tube
depth (10, 15.6%) and extubation (8, 12.5%). Twenty-one (50%) infants
had 50 medication changes included add steroids, anti-reflux medicine,
antibiotics and stop antibiotics. Eighteen (42.8%) infants had received
37 therapeutic FE-NIV procedures which included 14 balloon dilatation,
13 laser-plasty and 10 stent implantations. Seven (16.7%) infants had
surgeries included 4 tracheostomies and 3 fundoplications. Conclusion
FE-NIV can be a safe and valuable modality for direct visual assessment
of AE pathologies which contributed subsequent changes of clinical
management in sBPD infants.