Neonatal bronchoscopy: Role in respiratory disease of the newborn-A 7 year experience.

Neonatal bronchoscopy can serve as an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the management of neonatal lung disease, BAL specimen microbiology from bronchoscopy directs clinical decision making in the management of neonatal lung infection. Individual common markers of infection have poor correlation to BAL. A combination of the markers, however, improves correlation with BAL but their utility in clinical management of lung infection is subject to caution. A negative BAL may shift management emphasis on minimizing lung injury especially in neonates who are ventilator dependent; BAL has the potential to critically affect the management of babies with significant lung disease especially when ventilator dependent.