Spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema in non-ventilated COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Aim: Pneumothorax (PNX), pneumomediastinum (PMD) and subcutaneous emphysema (SCE) are COVID-19 complications related to positive-pressure ventilation. We analyzed the pathophysiology of these complications without ventilation. Patients & methods: Out of 1845 admitted COVID-19 patients, we retrospectively collected data for 15 patients, from a tertiary medical center, from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021. Results: Five patients suffered from spontaneous PNX, 8/15 developed PMD and 8/15 developed SCE. The mean BMI was 29.7, as most patients were obese or overweight. Most patients had lymphocytopenia and increased C-reactive protein, ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Eleven patients succumbed to the disease. Conclusion: Risk factors of spontaneous PNX, PMD and SCE in COVID-19 patients need further investigations by conducting more comprehensive case–control studies.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• pneumomediastinum
• spontaneous pneumothorax
• subcutaneous emphysema