Bronchoalveolar Lavage Catheter Research Articles

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytological findings in healthy Amiata donkeys.

Background:The approach to respiratory diseases in donkeys is similar to that for horses; nevertheless, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and tracheal wash cytology in this species have been described only a few times in the literature. Aim:To describe BALF cytological findings in a cohort of 24 healthy Amiata donkeys.Methods:Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out via standing sedation with a large animal where the BAL catheter passed blindly through the nasal passage into the trachea. Results:The total nucleated cell count of the BALF was found similar to that already described in healthy horses and donkeys. No differences in the differential count were observed according to age and sex. A decreased macrophage percentage and an increased eosinophil percentage were observed in our donkey population when compared to the existing reference range for horses. Conclusion:The reference intervals for BAL cytology in donkeys may be significantly different for those referred for horses.

Effect of sedation on the intrapulmonary position of a bronchoalveolar lavage catheter in calves

BOVINE respiratory disease (BRD) has a major economic impact in different cattle production systems worldwide (Griffin 1997, Pardon and others 2013, Lehenbauer 2014) and is the main reason of antimicrobial...

Sputum Induction Compared With Bronchoalveolar Lavage by Ballard Catheter To Diagnose Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia

Specimens from sputum induction (SI) are often of insufficient volume or have poor diagnostic yield for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). The Ballard catheter for bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a disposable BAL device which is passed transnasally into the airway and wedged by sensation. Thirty consecutive episodes (21 inpatient and 9 outpatient) in 28 patients positive for HIV (15 with AIDS) were studied with SI and BAL at a tertiary-care university hospital. Six SIs yielded no specimen, and six were judged inadequate for investigation by the laboratory. The BAL return averaged 53 ml (range, 10 to 77 ml), and all specimens were excellent quality based on microscopy. Of the 10 patients (33 percent) who were PCP-positive on BAL, only 2 (6.9 percent) were detected by SI (McNemar p = 0.0078). Of 12 patients in whom SI was unobtainable or inadequate, 6 were positive for PCP on BAL. Two adequate specimens from SI were negative, but BAL specimens were positive for PCP. No patients had specimens that were positive for PCP on SI who had negative BAL specimens. The adequacy of the specimen and the PCP diagnosis with BAL were statistically superior to SI (McNemar p = 0.007). The Ballard BAL catheter allows easy transnasal access to the airway and safe BAL, with a statistically significant superior yield of specimens when compared to SI.