Spontaneous hemothorax in a 48-year-old man with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome

Audrey L. Chai; Firas M. El-Baba; Chandra Patel

Respiratory Medicine Case Reports (Jan 2023)

Spontaneous hemothorax in a 48-year-old man with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome

Audrey L. Chai,
Firas M. El-Baba,
Chandra Patel

Affiliations

Audrey L. Chai: Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, LAC+USC Medical Center, 2020 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Firas M. El-Baba: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Chandra Patel: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 42
p. 101806

Abstract

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A 48-year-old man presented with gradually worsening dyspnea three days after testing positive for COVID-19. He was admitted to the intensive care unit on maximum high flow nasal cannula settings and subsequently intubated for hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia. Two weeks into the patient's hospital course, he unexpectedly developed worsening hypotension with multiple vasopressor requirements. Labs revealed an unexpected hemoglobin drop from 12.5 to 7.9 g/dL. Chest radiograph showed near complete opacification of the right hemithorax concerning for hemothorax. This case presentation describes a rare phenomenon of spontaneous hemothorax in a patient with COVID-19.

Published in Respiratory Medicine Case Reports

ISSN: 2213-0071 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Diseases of the respiratory system
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/respiratory-medicine-case-reports/

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