This 1973 program, produced by the Emory University School of Medicine, features four panelists with varying opinions on the usefulness of lung biopsy. The first panelist, Dr. Eugene C. Klatte, strongly favors the biopsy, claiming that the mortality rate is less than one percent. According to him, it is a simple technique with low risk and can give a proper diagnosis for a vast majority of patients. The next panelist, Dr. Mike Dufel, explains the use of a high speed trephine biopsy drill. Dr. Paul Stevens is more skeptical of the use of lung biopsies except in cases where all other methods of achieving a diagnosis have been exhausted, and he believes that every patient who dies is significant regardless of the lack of these instances being reported in medical literature. The method he prefers to use is fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchial brush biopsy, which is more simple and innocuous. The final speaker (who is not named on camera) gives his thoughts on the pros and cons of surgical bronchoscopy, mediastinoscopy and medialastinotomy, and open lung biopsy.
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)