A key indication for performing bronchoscopy includes which of the following?

• A. Measuring pulmonary artery pressures noninvasively.
• B. Visualizing the esophagus.
• C. Evaluating liver function.
• D. Evaluation of persistent cough, suspected infection, or tumor, and obtaining lower airway samples.

Answer: (D)

Bronchoscopy centers on directly examining the tracheobronchial tree and obtaining samples from the lower airways. This is particularly valuable when a patient has a persistent cough, a suspected infection, or a tumor, because you can visually assess the airways for obstructions or abnormal inflammation and simultaneously collect diagnostic material. The samples can include bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, bronchial brushings, and tissue biopsies, which help identify infections (including atypical or resistant organisms), malignancies, or inflammatory diseases, and guide treatment decisions.

Other options don’t fit because measuring pulmonary artery pressures noninvasively is done with right heart catheterization or echocardiography, not bronchoscopy. Visualizing the esophagus is accomplished with an esophagoscopy, not a bronchoscopy. Evaluating liver function is determined by hepatic tests and imaging, not airway visualization or sampling.