Broncho-alveolar lavage in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19

Christian G Cornelissen; Ingmar Bergs; Annegret G Müller; Ayham Daher; Alexander Kersten; Paul Balfanz; Sebastian Lemmen; Gernot Marx; Nikolaus Marx; Michael Dreher; Tobias Müller

doi:10.1111/imj.15363

Broncho-alveolar lavage in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19

Intern Med J. 2021 Jun;51(6):965-967. doi: 10.1111/imj.15363.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pneumology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
² Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
³ Department of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
⁴ Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.

Abstract

As data about microbiological testing and the cellular composition of the broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in patients ventilated due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are lacking, this was investigated in a retrospective analysis (n = 58). Co-infection with pathogens was detected in 31 patients, whereas the analysis of BAL cellularity showed an increased total cell count and an alveolitis dominated by neutrophils. None of the physicians performing bronchoscopies in COVID-19 patients had serological evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.

Keywords: broncho-alveolar lavage; bronchoscopy; co-infection; critical care; mechanical ventilation.

MeSH terms

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
COVID-19*
Humans
Respiratory Distress Syndrome* / therapy
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Therapeutic Irrigation