Official American Thoracic Society technical standards: flexible airway endoscopy in children

Abstract

Background: Flexible airway endoscopy (FAE) is an accepted and frequently performed procedure in the evaluation of children with known or suspected airway and lung parenchymal disorders. However, published technical standards on how to perform FAE in children are lacking.

Methods: The American Thoracic Society (ATS) approved the formation of a multidisciplinary committee to delineate technical standards for performing FAE in children. The committee completed a pragmatic synthesis of the evidence and used the evidence synthesis to answer clinically relevant questions.

Results: There is a paucity of randomized controlled trials in pediatric FAE. The committee developed recommendations based predominantly on the collective clinical experience of our committee members highlighting the importance of FAE-specific airway management techniques and anesthesia, establishing suggested competencies for the bronchoscopist in training, and defining areas deserving further investigation.

Conclusions: These ATS-sponsored technical standards describe the equipment, personnel, competencies, and special procedures associated with FAE in children.