Noninvasive Ventilation-Facilitated Bronchofiberoscopy in Patients with Respiratory Failure.

Respiratory failure is one of the most important risk factors for diagnostic bronchofiberoscopy (BF), whereas therapeutic bronchoscopies are typically performed in intubated patients. Only a few published studies analyzed the outcomes of noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV)-facilitated BF. In this case series, we present our experiences with NIV-facilitated diagnostic and therapeutic BF performed in patients with respiratory failure that was associated with acute interstitial pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis exacerbation, foreign body aspiration, tracheal stenosis, pneumonia, and in a patient with a neuromuscular disease. All of the patients were initially hypoxic and some had PaO