Flexible bronchoscopy in the elderly

The established roles of flexible bronchoscopy in patients with diverse res piratory diseases, together with the demographic imperative posed by the ag ing of the population, make it important to understand factors relevant to this procedure in the elderly and to identify ways to optimize its performa nce. Relatively few investigations address specific influences of age on br onchoscopy but suggest that older patients age alone neither requires major modification of the approach nor introduces unacceptable hazards. The cruc ial relationships between bronchoscopy, the prevalence of specific respirat ory diseases under consideration, and the impact of the procedure on patien t management algorithms must be addressed in the future prospective investi gations of the process of care in the elderly.