SEPAR and AEER consensus recommendations on the Use of Bronchoscopy and Airway Sampling in Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Infection

ABSTRACT

This consensus document has been drawn up by the Techniques and Transplantation and Nursing areas of the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) and the Spanish Society of Respiratory Endoscopy (AEER) with the aim of providing information on the safe and effective use of bronchoscopy in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Our priority is to ensure the safety of our patients, the health workers caring for them, and the community in general. At this stage in the pandemic, our information on the use of bronchoscopy in patients of this type is based on the experience of hospitals in other countries, and scientific publications are scarce. The objective of this document is to compile these experiences, based on recommendations from official agencies, in a document offering guidance in daily clinical practice.