Bronchoscopic diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lung cancer employing sedation with fentanyl and midazolam

Sedation with fentanyl and midazolam during bronchoscopic examination is commonly employed by pulmonary physicians in the USA and Europe. We assessed the efficacy of such sedation in the bronchoscopic diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer. We retrospectively evaluated data from 102 patients who underwent transbronchial biopsies (TBB) for diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer. Bronchoscopies with and without fentanyl were performed in 61 (group A) and 41 (group B) patients, respectively. Midazolam was administered to all patients. Medical records were retrieved, and between-group comparisons were made using unpaired Student's t-tests. The mean fentanyl dose was 49.5 μg (range: 10–100 μg), and midazolam doses in groups A and B were 4.29mg (range: 1–14mg) and 5.54mg (range: 1–12mg), respectively. Diagnostic histological specimens were obtained from 75.4% and 65.8% of group A and B patients, respectively (P = 0.30). The diagnostic sensitivities for lung cancer, via at least one of TBB, cytological brushing, or bronchial washing, in groups A and B were 88.5% and 70.4%, respectively (P = 0.035). Moreover, lesion diagnostic sensitivities, via at least one of TBB, cytological brushing, and bronchial washing, in groups A and B were 98.1% and 68.0%, respectively (P = 0.01). Fentanyl and midazolam sedation during bronchoscopy facilitated the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lung cancers.