Management of pneumothorax in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients: early experience

Point of care echocardiography and lung ultrasound in critically ill patients with COVID-19

Hundreds of millions got infected, and millions have died worldwide and still the number of cases is rising.Chest radiographs and computed tomography (CT) are useful for imaging the lung but their use in infectious diseases is limited due to hygiene and availability.Lung ultrasound has been shown to be useful in the context of the pandemic, providing clinicians with valuable insights and helping identify complications such as pleural effusion in heart failure or bacterial superinfections. Moreover, lung ultrasound is useful for identifying possible complications of procedures, in particular, pneumothorax.Associations between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and cardiac complications, such as acute myocardial infarction and myocarditis, have been reported. As such, point of care echocardiography as well as a comprehensive approach in later stages of the disease provide important information for optimally diagnosing and treating complications of COVID-19.In our experience, lung ultrasound in combination with echocardiography, has a great impact on treatment decisions. In the acute state as well as in the follow-up setting after a severe or critical state of COVID-19, ultrasound can be of great impact to monitor the progression and regression of disease.

Pulmonary emphysema, bullae, and pneumothorax in COVID-19 pneumonia

In this paper, we described 2 cases with COVID-19 pneumonia, who developed pulmonary emphysema, bullae, and pneumothorax during therapy. In a 48-year-old man with mechanical ventilation, parts of ground glass opacities and consolidations transformed into emphysema and giant bulla, and bilateral pneumothorax were also observed. In a 35-year-old man, localized emphysema and pulmonary bullae were seen in subpleural area in bilateral upper lobes, where no previous lesions were presented. In conclusion, pulmonary emphysema, bullae, and pneumothorax could be complications of COVID-19. On one hand, surgical emphysema in ventilated COVID-19 patients was observed as in SARS patients. On the other hand, more serious destruction of lung parenchyma was found in COVID-19 patients.

SARS-CoV-2 Associated With Pneumothorax: A Case Report and Literature Review

SARS-CoV-2 has created universal disarray since its outbreak in 2019. Emergent measures were taken worldwide to mitigate the morbid outcomes of the pandemic. Multiple organ systems have been shown to be negatively impacted secondary to the heightened inflammatory response to the novel virus. In this report, we focus on the respiratory system. The novel virus impact on the respiratory system has been well documented, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Here, we present a case of a patient with no risk factors for pneumothorax (smoking, underlying lung disease, prior history of pneumothorax, age, family history) who was found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive and developed a significant pneumothorax requiring transfer to the intensive care unit.