Pulmonary or Bronchial Lavage and Simultaneous Tomographies

As a result of mass fluorography, abnormal pulmonary shadows are detected. The etiology or activity of these lesions must be determined. There are cases of residual or progressive tuberculosis; there are cases of other diseases. The diagnosis directs the medical advice, prompt treatment before symptoms develop as well as prophylaxis, and administrative measures.

The author described in 1944 a new method of pulmonary lavage (bronchial or tracheo-bronchial), that replaces gastric lavage with advantage. In those people with shadows it is useful to employ localized tomography for the study of lesion structure. Simultaneous tomographies is the better method. In those with slight bronchial secretion, generally paucibacillaire, or without secretion, the author performs pulmonary lavage for bacteriological study.

Statistics of 6,306 pulmonary lavages is given, in which the incidence of active tuberculosis reaches 17.79 per cent.

The problem of the nature and the activity of the pulmonary [See FIGURE 26, 27, 28 in source PDF] lesions has assumed social significance and calls for new and efficient administrative procedures. Central laboratories doing x-ray and bacteriology, able to perform a large number of tomographies, cultures and inoculations, are the indispensable complement of mass fluorography.