Child or Infant Bronchoscopy
What Is a Bronchoscopy?
A bronchoscopy is an exam of the inside of the lungs and airways. A thin, flexible viewing tube is passed through the nose, down the back of the throat, and into the lungs. Your child will be able to breathe around this tube.
What to Do Before the Exam?
1. Your child needs to have an empty stomach for the test. On the day of the test,
Infants 0 to 5 months
No milk or solid food for 4 hours before the test.
Infants 6 to 36 months
No milk or solid food for 6 hours before the test.
Children over 36 months
No milk or solid food for 8 hours before the test.
All children
May have up to 2 ounces of clear liquids up to 2 hours before the test.
2. If your child is taking any medicines or is on a special diet, ask the doctor how to prepare your child for the bronchoscopy.
3. If your child has a history of aspiration, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), obesity or any other esophageal problem, please call our office for specific instructions.
4. We ask that you try to keep your child awake in the car on your way here. This is helpful when we sedate your child before the procedure.
5. If your child uses a bottle, please bring a bottle and formula with you. We will have your child drink before leaving the clinic.
6. If your child has a special toy or blanket, please bring it with you.
7. If your child becomes ill (cold, fever, runny nose, vomit, cough, etc.) within 1 week before this exam, please call our office.
8. Your entire stay in the clinic may be up to 4 or 5 hours.
The Day of the Bronchoscopy
Please apply EMLA cream to _____________ not later than ________________.
Check in at:
____ Pediatric Day Treatment Center on F6/4, phone number (608) 263-9540
____ Ambulatory Procedure Center in C5/2, phone number (608) 263-8094
Please check in by: ____________________ on ________________________.
Time Date
Your child's bronchoscopy is scheduled at: 10 AM 11:30 AM OTHER ________
A doctor and nurse will talk with you and your child before the exam. Please use this time to ask any questions you may have.
The Exam
Your child will be given medicine to cause him to be sleepy and relaxed. It may be given as a shot or through a tube into a vein (IV). Numbing drops will be used to numb the nose and throat so that your child will not feel the tube being passed.
You may stay with your child until we are ready to start the procedure. Once we are ready, you will be asked to go to the waiting room. The bronchoscopy takes about 45 minutes. The doctor will talk with you as soon as it is done.
After the Exam
Your child will need to stay in the clinic until she is awake. We then make sure that your child is able to drink some water without throwing up. Most children are ready to go home about 1½ hours after the procedure.
The doctor will come to see you and your child before you leave the clinic. The doctor may have special instructions for you at that time and will answer any other questions that you may have. Because your child may still be sleepy, she will need to go home and rest. Your child may also feel sick to her stomach from the medicine. That feeling should go away within a couple of hours.
We suggest that you do not plan any activities for your child that day, such as bike riding or other sports.
Your child may have a hoarse voice or sore throat for one or two days. You may also notice streaks of blood in the mucous on your child's first day at home.
When to Call the Doctor or Nurse
- If your child has rapid, hard, or noisy breathing, take your child to the nearest emergency room
- Any bleeding the day after
- Nausea or vomiting that lasts for more than 24 hours
- Fever over 101°F by mouth, ear, or rectum, or over 100°F under the arm
- Pain not controlled by Tylenol®
- Trouble with swallowing for more than 24 hours
Phone Numbers
Pediatric Pulmonology Service at (608) 263-8555, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
After hours, this number will be answered by the paging operator. Ask for the pediatric pulmonary doctor on call. Leave your name and phone number with the area code. The doctor will call you back.
The doctor who performed the bronchoscopy is _______________________.
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 06/12/2007
Copyright © 08/14/2006 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. UWH #4258
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