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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract / Bronchoalveolar lavage: sampling technique and guidelines fo...
The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice2008; 24(2); 423-viii; doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2008.04.003

Bronchoalveolar lavage: sampling technique and guidelines for cytologic preparation and interpretation.

Abstract: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a method for the recovery of respiratory secretions that line the peripheral airways and alveoli. Overall, BAL is considered very safe and sufficiently sensitive to detect inflammation at the cytologic level. The good correlation between BAL differential cell counts and exercise-induced hypoxemia or lactic acidosis, airway obstruction, or airway responsiveness attests to the relevance of BAL cytology to the structure and function of the equine airways. Thus, an important advantage of BAL over tracheal wash cytology is that BAL cytology relates well to the clinical signs and pathophysiologic consequences of inflammatory airway disease.
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Publication Date: 2008-07-26 PubMed ID: 18652963DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2008.04.003Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article discusses the Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) technique, a method used for collecting respiratory secretions from the peripheral airways and alveoli, and its guidelines for cytologic preparation and interpretation. It highlights the safety and sensitivity of the method in detecting inflammation and its relevance to the structure and function of equine airways.

About Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)

  • BAL is a sampling technique used to recover respiratory secretions lining the peripheral airways and alveoli.
  • This technique is considered safe and is effective in detecting inflammation occurring at the cytologic (cellular) level.

Relevance of BAL to Equine Airways

  • The research affirms a good correlation between BAL differential cell counts and a number of conditions including exercise-induced hypoxemia or lactic acidosis, airway obstruction, or airway responsiveness.
  • These conditions are used to evaluate the structural and functional health of the equine airways, implying that BAL plays a crucial role in understanding and managing inflammatory airway disease in horses.

Advantages of BAL Over Tracheal Wash Cytology

  • According to the study, BAL cytology correlates better with the clinical signs and physiopathological consequences of inflammatory airway disease compared to tracheal wash cytology.
  • This makes BAL a more advantageous method for detecting and evaluating airway conditions in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Hoffman AM. (2008). Bronchoalveolar lavage: sampling technique and guidelines for cytologic preparation and interpretation. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 24(2), 423-viii. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2008.04.003

Publication

The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
ISSN: 1558-4224
NlmUniqueID: 8511904
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 24
Issue: 2
Pages: 423-viii

Researcher Affiliations

Hoffman, Andrew M
  • Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01539, USA. andrew.hoffman@tufts.edu

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage / instrumentation
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage / methods
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage / veterinary
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / chemistry
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horses
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / diagnosis
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / pathology
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary

Citations

This article has been cited 38 times.
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