Bacteremia associated with bronchoscopy

ObjectiveTo assess the incidence of bacteremia following bronchoscopy to determine whether the use of prophylactic antibiotics is warranted in patients at risk of endocarditis.DesignProspective nonrandomized clinical study.SettingsBronchoscopy Unit of Chest Department and Thoracic Surgery Department, and Microbiology Laboratory of Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt.PatientsForty-five patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy.InterventionsBlood samples for culture were obtained before and immediately after the procedure.ResultsThere were no documented cases of bacterial growth in blood. Two culture bottles yielded contaminant.ConclusionBronchoscopy is a low-risk procedure for the development of bacteremia. This may bear on present practice regarding perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis for endocarditis in the high-risk groups.