Safety and efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for patients aged 80 years and older

Background: The safety and efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in patients aged 70 years and older has been established. However, few studies have evaluated the safety, usefulness, and significance of EBUS-TBNA in patients aged 80 years and older. Methods: We retrospectively investigated patients aged 80 years and older who underwent EBUS-TBNA under local anesthesia. The study period was 10 years; from November 1, 2010 to October 31, 2020. The primary endpoint was the safety of EBUS-TBNA, which was measured as the incidence of complications associated with the procedure. The secondary endpoints were the overall diagnostic rate, malignant disease diagnosis rate, and malignant disease treatment rate. Results: A total of 111 patients were enrolled in the study, and the median age was 82 years (range: 80–89 years). The incidence of complications (the primary endpoint) was 5% (5/111) and comprised oversedation in one case, chest pain in one case, hypoxemia in two cases, and arrhythmia in one case. Regarding the secondary endpoints, the diagnostic rate for all patients was 75% (83/111), and the diagnostic rate of malignant disease was 89% (75/84). Of the 75 patients with malignant disease diagnosed with EBUS-TBNA, 61 (81%) received tumor-specific therapy in accordance with their diagnoses. Conclusion: EBUS-TBNA can be considered safe and effective even in patients aged 80 years and older.