COVID 19 AND SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX, RETROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES

R PERVAIZ; T BIBI; B ARIF; A MUNAWAR; R SITARA; MA QAYYUM; A RAZA; A SHAHPER; MM HAFEEZ

doi:10.54112/pjicm.v2022i1.10

Authors

R PERVAIZ Department of Critical Care, Division of Medicine, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
T BIBI Department of Critical Care, Division of Medicine, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
B ARIF Department of Critical Care, Division of Medicine, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
A MUNAWAR Department of Critical Care, Division of Medicine, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
R SITARA Department of Critical Care, Division of Medicine, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
MA QAYYUM Head Department of Nephrology, Division of Medicine, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
A RAZA Consultant Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
A SHAHPER Consultant Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Bahria International Hospital, Lahore
MM HAFEEZ Director Research and Development, Expert Doctors, PVT, LTD, Lahore

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54112/pjicm.v2022i1.10

Keywords:

Barotrauma, COVID-19, Non-invasive ventilation, Pneumothorax, PSILI, Patients self-induced lung injury

Abstract

COVID-19 Sars Co V2 or Corona Virus disease is a highly infectious multisystem disease with severe acute lung injury leading to ARDS and respiratory failure as its main complication. Spontaneous pneumothorax is a complication which is though uncommon but could be life threatening and hence carries poor prognosis. We hereby describe a series of six cases of spontaneous pneumothorax which were seen in Bahria International Hospital COVID management unit during last 3 months of COVID-19 surge in Lahore These cases indicate that multiple factors are associated with development of spontaneous pneumothorax in COVID-19 pneumonia patients but main role is played by the increased inflammatory response and can be regarded as a potential underlying mechanism of pneumothorax in such patients, leading to acute decompensation and worsening of respiratory failure and poor outcome.

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