Use of the novel endoscopic mask (e-mask) during bronchoscopy results in a substantial decrease in the generation of airborne particles without increasing complications, according to a study.

The authors conducted visualization and quantifying experiments on airborne particles with and without the e-mask, excluding patients with stage 2‒4 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

They prospectively assessed whether wearing the e-mask during bronchoscopy correlated with the incidence of patients requiring >5 L/min oxygen to maintain >90-percent oxygen saturation, and those with >45 mm Hg end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) elevation, in addition to complications, relative to historical controls.

More than 10,000 times of airborne particles were generated without the e-mask compared with use of the e-mask in the visualization experiment. The volume of such particles substantially declined with the e-mask compared to without the e-mask (p=0.011).

On multivariate logistic regression analysis, wearing of the e-mask showed no significant effect on the incidence of patients requiring >5 L/min oxygen to maintain >90-percent oxygen saturation (p=0.959). However, use of the e-mask was associated with >45 mm Hg EtCO2 elevation (p=0.026).

In addition, complications did not significantly differ between the e-mask and control groups (5.8 percent vs 2.5 percent; p=0.395).

“Bronchoscopy is an airborne particle-generating procedure. However, few methods for safe bronchoscopy have been developed,” the authors said.