For A More Comfortable Bronchoscopy: Is Spray Catheter The Answer?

Bronchoscopy is a commonly performed procedure for inpatients to visualize the airways when indicated. It is routinely done for both diagnostic (to lavage and biopsy the respiratory tract) and therapeutic purposes (to relief an obstruction or remove foreign bodies). Given the possible side effects of cough of varying severity this procedure can be uncomfortable to patients, some would even shy away from having a bronchoscopy even when it's medically indicated. Recently a spray catheter was designed to deliver more uniform anesthesia to the airways as compared to the conventional way of injecting the anesthesia into the bronchoscopy working channel. The investigators aim to conduct this study with the hope of improving patient care, providing comfortable procedures, helping more patients opt in for bronchoscopy when indicated.