Bedside bronchoscopy procedures
In most ICU's bedside bronchoscopy procedures such as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or bronchial wash (BW) are routine procedures performed by the intensivist or other airway specialists. The cytology samples and cultures obtained during the procedure help tailor the correct treatment of the patient.1
All ICUs should have 24-hour bronchoscopy service
Critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation face a number of risks during hospitalisation in the Intensive Care Unit. The issue of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) being one of the most common. It is estimated that up to 28% of intubated patients requiring mechanical ventilation will develop VAP.
Given the severe consequences associated with VAP, it is critical that a timely and accurate diagnosis is made. Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is an excellent tool for making the diagnosis.
Bronchoscopy should never delay antimicrobial therapy, particularly in ICU settings. It is therefore crucial that a bronchoscope is immediately available at all times.2
Always Sterile. Always available.
The aScope 4 Broncho is a single-use flexible bronchoscope ideal for a wide range of bronchoscopy procedures in the ICU. Delivered sterile, aScope 4 Broncho eliminates the risk of cross-contamination.
The portable plug and play system is easy to transport and set up. It is ready for use in no time and enables that the patient can be treated immediately when needed without having to wait for a clean bronchoscopy or an airway specialist to arrive.
You need an immediately-available bronchoscope
Think about it — do you always have immediate access to a flexible bronchoscope when you need it? And is it any different at night and on the weekends?
In many ICUs the standard practice has been to request a bronchoscope tower and then wait. But, every minute counts. The wait could be 30 minutes or it could be several hours. Complication is compounded with staffing availability issues. Who will be available by the time the scope is ready?
Bronchoscopy should fit your schedule
Scheduling today vs. scheduling with aScope 4 Broncho
Scheduling today
Imagine you want to do 4 bronchoscopies today. Could you fit them all in? Are you guaranteed a scope at the time you will need it and have the staff ready? What’s the turnaround on getting a clean scope? If you have to wait until tomorrow what consequences will delaying treatment have on your patients?
Scheduling with aScope 4 Broncho
Now imagine you can schedule the bronchoscopies whenever you need to. Your bronchoscope system sets up in seconds. You have the ability to do all the procedures first thing in the morning or push them until later. Even if later is 2 am, you can always perform bronchoscopy.
Can a single-use bronchoscope perform as well as a reusable?
100% yes. There are over 50 studies using the aScope System. Also, an evaluation by two independent, experienced clinicians demonstrated that the Ambu aScope system was assessed as easy to use and performed at a 100% success rate for BAL and BW in invasively ventilated critically ill patients.2
100%
Advance to major
bronchial segments
91%
Suction capacity
96%
Image quality
20
Patients
(BAL and BW)
2
Bronchoscopists
100%
Successfully performed
Experience with Ambu aScope
References
A. Ernst, Introduction to Bronchoscopy, Chapter 9, pp. 85-96, Carla Lamb, Bronchial washing, bronchioalveolar lavage, bronchial brush, and endobronchial biopsi, Cambridge Medicine, 2009
A. Ernst, Introduction to Bronchoscopy, Chapter 12, Jed A. Gorden, Bronchoscopy in the Intensive Care Unit, pp. 115-123, Cambridge Medicine, 2009
McGrath AB, et al. Evaluating the Ambu aScope 3 system for bronch-alveolar lavage and bronchial wash in invasively ventilated patients. 2013, 26th ESCIM Annual Congress, Paris; 2013.
