Bronchoscopy and Laryngoscopy

Bronchoscopy (bruh-kaa-skuh-pee) and laryngoscopy (leh-ruhn-gaa-skuh-pee) are 2 procedures that are often done at the same time. A special telescope is used to see the voice box (larynx) and windpipe (trachea and bronchi).

Your child may need this done as part of diagnosing a breathing problem, as a treatment, to take small pieces of tissue to test (biopsy), or to remove a stuck object. 

Before the Procedure

• The nurse will call you to ask you questions about your child’s health.
• The nurse will tell you when to stop giving your child food and liquids, when to get to the hospital, and the time of the surgery. 
• Do not eat gum, cough drops, and hard candy. If your child has been chewing gum, surgery will be delayed 2 hours from the time the gum is spit out. If the gum has been swallowed, surgery will be delayed up to 6 hours from the time it was swallowed. 

General Anesthesia

Your child will get anesthesia during the procedure. It is a kind of medicine that helps them sleep and keeps them from feeling pain. It’s usually given through an intravenous (IV) catheter or breathed in through a mask.

• The doctor or health care provider will talk to you about the medicines that will be used.
• The kind of medicine your child will get depends on why they’re having the procedure and how long it will take.

After the Procedure

Your child will go to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) or a recovery room. They will be taken to their room after they wake up. Their doctor or health care provider will talk to you about how the procedure went. They may show you pictures taken during the test.

• After your child wakes up, they can have small amounts of clear liquids if they’re not nauseous or throwing up (vomiting). This includes water, apple juice, or Popsicles^®.
• They need to drink plenty of liquids for 24 hours. The doctor or health care provider will let you know when they can have solid food.
• They may be more tired than usual. This is normal.
• Your child’s voice may be hoarse, and they may have a sore throat. They may be given acetaminophen (Tylenol^®) for pain.
• A slight fever is normal. Have your child drink plenty of liquids to help lower or prevent a fever.

Pain Medicine After the Procedure

Your child’s doctor or health care provider may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol^®, Feverall^®, and Tempra^® or ibuprofen (Motrin^®, Advil^®)

• Give the exact amount of medicine ordered for your child.
• If the medicine is a liquid, use a pediatric measuring device to measure the dose (Picture 1). You can get these at a pharmacy. Do not measure liquid medicine with kitchen spoons.
• Stay with your child until all the medicine is swallowed.
• If your child has severe pain that won’t go away, call their doctor or health care provider. Do not give them extra medicine.
• Do not give more than 5 doses of acetaminophen in a 24-hour period unless ordered by the doctor or health care provider.
• Store all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
• If your child is prescribed pain medicine or antibiotics, use them as directed.

If your child or someone else takes too much medicine, call the Central Ohio Poison Center at 1 (800) 222-1222 [TDD (614) 228-2272]. They will tell you what to do.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your child’s doctor or health care provider if they:

• Start breathing differently.
• Have skin color changes.
• Are more tired than normal.
• Have a fever over 101˚ Fahrenheit (F) or 38.3˚ Celsius (C).
• Have a fever that lasts longer than 24 hours after the test.
• Are nauseous or vomit for more than 24 hours after the test. Or for more than 12 hours if they’re under the age of 1.
• Have hoarseness that gets worse after 1 or 2 days.

When to Call 911

Call 911 for emergency help if your child has:

• Trouble breathing, noisy breathing, or pauses in breathing.
• Bleeding from the mouth or coughing up blood.
• Bluish-colored lips, face, or hands.

 

Bronchoscopy and Laryngoscopy (PDF)
Soomaalida / Somali (PDF)
Español / Spanish (PDF)

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