Bronchoscopy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)
Reviewed
Bronchoscopy is a procedure that uses a thin, lighted tube with a camera to view your airways and lungs. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a part of bronchoscopy that washes your airways with saline to collect a fluid sample for testing.
Preparation and collection
You may need to fast (not eat or drink) for several hours before the procedure. Your provider will tell you how long. Also, you may need to stop taking certain medicines; do not stop unless your provider tells you to.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Results from bronchoscopy and BAL are not diagnostic on their own; they must be interpreted along with your symptoms, medical history, and other tests.
- There is a small risk of false negatives; a normal result does not completely rule out disease.
- The procedure carries rare but serious risks such as bleeding, infection, or lung collapse.
What to do next
Your healthcare provider will review your results along with your symptoms, medical history, and any other tests to make a diagnosis. Follow up with your provider to discuss what your results mean for you.
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Bronchoscopy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)