Recurrent pneumothorax in a COVID-19 patient: A case report

Abstract

An 88-year-old woman diagnosed with COVID-19 in Brazil presented with recurrent pneumothorax. She was under mechanical ventilation for 20 days because of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Chest x-ray revealed right lung pneumothorax, which was treated with a pigtail chest tube leading to successful lung reexpansion. After 48 hours the patient developed an ipsilateral pneumothorax and a new tube thoracostomy under conventional chest tube under suction was performed and kept in place for 14 days.This brief report highlights that the conventional chest tube under suction procedures might be a good choice in Covid-19 patients.

Keywords

• Pneumothorax
• COVID-19
• Chest drainage