Fiberoptic bronchoscopy and culture bacteria from the lower respiratory.

Forty-five specimens were obtained by sequential translaryngeal aspiration and fiberoptic bronchoscopy from 31 clinically unifected patients with lung cancer in order to evaluate the reliability of routine fiberoptic bronchoscopy for culture of the lower respiratory tract. Bacteria were recovered brom 98 percent (44) of the specimens obtained via fiberoptic bronchoscopy and from 58 percent (26) of the specimens obtained by the preceding translaryngeal aspiration. The microorganisms grown from cultures of specimens obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy consisted of mixtures of both nonpathogenic and potenitally pathogenic bacteria. Potentially pathogenic bacteria were present in 87 percent (39) of the specimens from fiberoptic bronchoscopy and 31 percent (14) of specimens from translayngeal aspiration. The results of cultures from the two procedures agreed completely in only a single instance. Culture of washings or secretions obtained by routine fiberoptic bronchoscopy is not recommended because it provides inaccurate and clinically confusing information about the presence or types of bacteria in the lower respiratory tract prior to instrumentation.