Utility of Bronchial washing in Modern Pulmonology: An 8-Year Retrospective Study
Abstract: Background: Bronchial washing is a widely utilized diagnostic modality in respiratory medicine, particularly in the evaluation of infectious and diffuse parenchymal lung diseases. Over time, the spectrum of pulmonary diseases diagnosed using Bronchial washing has evolved due to changing epidemiological and environmental factors [7]. Aim: To analyze the diagnostic profile and temporal trends of diseases identified through Bronchial washing over an 8-year period at a tertiary care center. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 2123 patients who underwent flexible bronchoscopy with Bronchial washing between January 2017 and December 2024. Diagnoses were broadly classified into infectious and non-infectious etiologies. Year-wise trends in disease distribution were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Infections accounted for the largest proportion of BAL diagnoses, comprising 52% (n = 1,105) of all samples. Among these, bacterial culture-positive infections were the most common at 37% (n = 786), followed by tuberculosis at 11% (n = 234) and non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections at 4% (n = 85). Non-infectious causes were less frequent, with cytology-positive findings accounting for 3% (n = 64) and others 1 % (n = 21). Bronchial washing were negative for any infective and non infective causes in rest (44%). The annual number of bronchoscopic procedures increased steadily, with a significant decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tuberculosis showed a peak in 2019 (56 cases), followed by a decline during the pandemic and gradual increase number thereafter. A progressive increase in NTM infections was observed, reaching a maximum of 17 cases in 2022, followed by 12 cases in 2024, indicating a sustained rise in recent years. Conclusion: Bronchial washing remains an invaluable diagnostic tool for evaluation of respiratory diseases, particularly in identifying infectious etiologies, which predominated in this study. It also plays a crucial role in diagnosis of lung disease by providing a good-quality lower respiratory tract sample, Thus, highlighting its utility in guiding appropriate decision-making and clinical management for a good standard of care.
Keywords: Bronchial washing, bronchoscopy, tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, interstitial lung disease, malignancy
How to Cite?: Dr. Prarabdh Modi, Dr. Girija Nair, Dr. Deepika Ughade, Dr. Manas Bhanushali, Dr. Shahid Patel, Dr. Tanay Sinha, "Utility of Bronchial washing in Modern Pulmonology: An 8-Year Retrospective Study", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 708-712, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR261010220654, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261010220654