BACKGROUND: Open lung biopsy is regarded as the gold standard for the diagnosis of diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic yield, therapeutic changes, complications and mortality attributed to open lung biopsy in patients with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and on mechanical ventilation. METHOD: We reviewed, retrospectively, the charts of 24 patients, ranging from 26 to 89 years of age, admitted to the intensive care units of two private hospitals and submitted to open lung biopsy. RESULTS: Diagnostic positivity was found in 100% of patients, resulting in an alteration in the treatment regimen in 75%. Postoperative complications occurred in five patients (20.8%). There were no biopsy-related deaths, although global mortality was 45.8%. CONCLUSION: Open lung biopsy is a safe and high yield procedure for diagnosing diffuse pulmonary infiltrate in patients on mechanical ventilation. Despite the fact that no mortality impact factor has been assigned to such patients, data in the literature regarding prognosis must be taken into consideration.
Biopsy; Respiratory insufficiency; Respiration artificial
