Bedside pleuroscopy in the management of undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion with acute respiratory failure

Pleuroscopy is indicated in patients with acute respiratory failure due to an unresolved exudative pleural effusion but it may not be possible to move such patients to the operating theatre or endoscopy room for pleuroscopy due to their critical condition. We report our experience of using flexible bronchoscopy for pleuroscopy to diagnose pleural effusion in patients with acute respiratory failure at the bedside in the intensive care unit. Before pleuroscopy patients were placed in the lateral decubitus position. We used bedside chest sonography to guide safe entry of the trocar. The skin was sterilised with povidone-iodine and local analgesia was with 2% lignocaine. Incisions were made using a knife with a width of 5 mm. A trocar 5.5 mm in diameter was then inserted, followed by a bronchoscope. The pleural cavity was inspected and biopsies were performed under direct vision in all suspected areas. A 16 Fr pigtail catheter was inserted for drainage after the pleuroscopy. Chest radiographs were routinely obtained after the procedure. In summary, this modified pleuroscopy technique can be performed at the bedside in an intensive care unit.