Site Map

Bronchoscopic culture

Culture - bronchoscopic

Bronchoscopic culture is a laboratory exam to check a piece of tissue or fluid from the lungs for infection-causing germs.

Images

How the Test is Performed

A procedure called bronchoscopy is used to get a sample (biopsy or brush) of lung tissue or fluid.

The sample is sent to a laboratory. There, it is placed in a special dish (culture). It is then watched to see if bacteria or other disease-causing germs grow. Treatment is based on the results of the culture.

How to Prepare for the Test

Follow your health care provider's instructions on how to prepare for bronchoscopy.

How the Test will Feel

Your provider will tell you what to expect during your bronchoscopy. Most times, it's performed under conscious sedation (heavily sedated), or under general anesthesia (fully asleep) so you will likely not remember much from the procedure.

Why the Test is Performed

A bronchoscopic culture is done to find infection in the lung that cannot be accurately detected by a sputum culture. The procedure may find the following things, such as:

• Abnormal secretions
• Abnormal lung tissue
• Abscesses
• Blockage of the airway, most often due to cancer or foreign bodies
• Inflammation
• Obstructive lesions, such as cancer or foreign bodies

Normal Results

No organisms are seen on the culture.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Abnormal culture results usually indicate a respiratory infection. The infection may be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, mycobacteria, or fungi. The results of the culture will help determine the best treatment.

Not all organisms found with bronchoscopic culture need to be treated. Your provider will tell you more about this, after taking into account a lot of information to determine if treatment is needed.

Risks

Your provider can discuss the risks of the bronchoscopy procedure with you.

Related Information

Sputum culture
Abscess

References

Beamer S, Jaroszewski DE, Viggiano RW, Smith ML. Optimal processing of diagnostic lung specimens. In: Smith ML, Leslie KO, Wick MR, eds. Practical Pulmonary Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 3.

Kupeli E, Mehta AC. Diagnostic bronchoscopy: basic techniques. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 26.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 11/25/2023  

Reviewed By: Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, MHS, Paul F. Harron Jr. Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Health Content Provider 06/01/2025

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.