Key findings
• The innovative Ambu ® aScope™ 5 Broncho is a rotatable scope compatible with electrocautery. It was deemed safe and adequate in a study of 98 patients in a quaternary referral centre with an interventional pulmonology program. All procedures were completed without complication, technical difficulties, or reason to switch to a reusable scope.
What is known and what is new?
• Single-use flexible bronchoscopes have compared favourably with reusable bronchoscopes in functioning, cost, clinical outcome, and environmental impact while potentially reducing infection transmission.
• Our research is the only evaluation to date that confirmed that the Ambu ® aScope™ family of scopes performed well in a quaternary referral centre bronchoscopy unit with an interventional pulmonology program.
What is the implication, and what should change now?
• Single-use flexible scopes are becoming more prevalent in bronchoscopy units. This study adds to the current portfolio of data regarding safe and satisfactory usage of single-use scopes. Further invasive studies may be warranted to further elucidate risk of infection transmission.
Journal of Thoracic Disease
Observational study
People
Technological advances in single-use or disposable bronchoscopy: an evaluation of the Innovative Ambu® aScope™ 5 in a quaternary referral bronchoscopy unit
22-Jan-2025
Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-24-1538/coif). M.P.K. reports that Ambu® Endoscopy provided all the scopes free of charge to Cork University Hospital. M.P.K. received consulting fees and speaker fees from the Surgical Company and Boston Scientific, and has been on the advisory board of both companies. He has served as a key opinion leader for the Surgical Company, which has also previously granted Cork University Hospital single-use bronchoscopes and monitors as training material. He is the president of the Irish Thoracic Society and the Irish Regent of the World Association of Bronchoscopy and Interventional Pulmonology. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.