What is bronchopulmonary fistula?

What is bronchopulmonary fistula?

A bronchopleural fistula is an abnormal passageway (a sinus tract) that develops between the large airways in the lungs (the bronchi) and the space between the membranes that line the lungs (the pleural cavity).

What causes a bronchopleural fistula?

Bronchopleural fistula is a persistent communication between the bronchi and pleural space for at least 10 days. It can be caused by blunt or penetrating trauma, blast injury, or barotrauma and usually persists because of an acute or chronic underlying lung disease.

How is BPF diagnosed?

The diagnosis of BPF is made using a combination of clinical, radiographic, and bronchoscopic findings that confirm an air leak from a major, lobar, or segmental bronchus to the pleural space.

Can a chest tube cause a bronchopleural fistula?

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a sinus tract between the bronchus and the pleural space that may result from a necrotizing pneumonia/empyema (anaerobic, pyogenic, tuberculous, or fungal), lung neoplasms, and blunt and penetrating lung injuries or may occur as a complication of procedures such as lung biopsy, chest …

How do you ventilate a patient with a Bronchopleural fistula?

You place a BVM with a PEEP valve set to 10 cm H20 on the left bronchial lumen, while continuing to ventilate the right lung with the ventilator on the tracheal lumen. O2 sat increases to 90-92 % and the patient remains stable for the rest of transport.

How do you fix Bronchopleural fistula?

Direct surgical repair of chronic bronchopleural fistula may be achieved in most patients after adequate pleural drainage by suture closure and aggressive transposition of vascularized pedicle flaps. Omentum is particularly effective in buttressing the closure of bronchopleural fistulas.

Can a whole lung be removed?

Pneumonectomy: This surgery removes an entire lung. This might be needed if the tumor is close to the center of the chest. Lobectomy: The lungs are made up of 5 lobes (3 on the right and 2 on the left).

What is differential lung ventilation?

Differential lung ventilation (DLV) is used to salvage ventilatory support in severe unilateral lung disease in the critical care setting. However, DLV with a double-lumen tube is associated with serious complications such as tube displacement during ventilatory management.

What is the plural of fistula?

The plural is generally fistulas, but fistulae /-iː/, reflecting the plural form in Latin, is also found in medical and zoological works…. …

What are the steps in the treatment of A bronchopleural fistula?

There are three major steps (separate surgical procedures) involved in the treatment of a bronchopleural fistula. The first step is to drain the fluid that has accumulated in the pleural cavity due to the fistula. After the fluid is drained, repairing the fistula is the next step (see below).

Can a lobectomy cause A bronchopleural fistula?

In a 2016 study, 1.4 percent of people having a lobectomy and 14.3 percent of people having a pneumonectomy developed a bronchopleural fistula after surgery. 3 It is also more common in those who have right-sided lung surgery. Infection (especially some types of pneumonia which resulted in a breakdown of tissue called lung necrosis).

How is a fistula repaired in the pleural cavity?

The first step is to drain the fluid that has accumulated in the pleural cavity due to the fistula. After the fluid is drained, repairing the fistula is the next step (see below). The final step in some cases is the get rid of the pleural cavity so that fluid can no longer accumulate.

When do you get a fistula after lung surgery?

Most often, a bronchopulmonary fistula will be found one to two weeks after lung surgery, although a fistula may occur even a month after surgery. The diagnosis of a bronchopleural fistula is usually made based on radiological findings.