Flexible bronchoscopy in COPD: a prospective, case-control study

Introduction: Flexible bronchoscopy is increasingly used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in patients with COPD. However, the safety of this examination in this patient group has not been extensively evaluated. We aimed to compare the incidence of adverse events and complications between patients with and without COPD undergoing bronchoscopy. In addition, the development of subclinical respiratory compromise and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) were evaluated. Methods: Prospective, controlled, case-control study including 1400 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic bronchoscopy at a tert…