Advanced stage empyemas in community-acquired pneumonia: how hospital re-organization during the Covid-19 pandemic affected the increase in surgically treated cases.

The cause of pleural empyema is bacterial pneumonia and three stages has been described in the evolution of this disease: exudative, fibrino-purulent and organizational phases. The first therapeutic intervention is the antibiotic therapy; where pharmacological therapy alone is not sufficient to eradicate the infection, it is also necessary a surgical treatment. Since the province of Piacenza having been in the epicenter area during the first Sars-Cov 2 pandemic wave in March 2020 and the number of patients with Covid-related pneumonia required invasive and non-invasive respiratory support, had a considerable organizational impact on pulmonology and respiratory unit, hindering an optimal treatment of the bacterial pneumonia both in community as well as in the hospital. Among the many "collateral" damages of the epidemiological wave of the infection with Sars Cov-2, we have been able to observe in our Hospital, also an increase of pulmonary empyemas diagnosed at an advanced stage for what we believe to be organizational and social causes directly related to the pandemic: in order to cope with the emergency the Unit of Pneumology has been since March nearly uninterruptedly dedicated to the exclusive treatment of covid patients so the pneumologist has been removed due to the need from outpatient and residential management of general pneumology.

Empyema Thoracis in a Patient Admitted with COVID-19: A Case Report.

After almost a year of declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic, unusual presentations of the disease continue to be reported. Very little is known about its association with pleural disease. Here, we present a case of empyema thoracis in a 39-year-old male admitted with COVID-19. The pleural fluid later turned serosanguinous and eventually bleeding from other sites also occurred. During his treatment, antibiotics were given, thoracocentesis was performed and later thoracotomy was done. He died on the 19th day of admission following a hemorrhagic stroke. Pleural disease, although considered atypical and unusual presentation of COVID-19, needs careful and prompt diagnosis and earliest intervention. COVID-19, being a disease that involves multiple systems, and presentation of the disease may eventually lead to circulatory dysfunction and hence should be kept under consideration.

Management of pleural empyema in a 12-year-old obese patient with COVID-19: a pediatric case report.

BACKGROUND: With the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, along with the development of new mutations of the virus and an increase in the number of cases among pediatrics, physicians should be aware and alerted on the atypical presentations of the disease, especially in less expected individuals. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we present a 12-year-old obese boy (BMI = 37.5 kg/m2) who presented with empyema, which was following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patient had no history of fever. Due to the onset of dyspnea, a chest tube was inserted for him which was later altered to a pleural drainage needle catheter. CONCLUSION: Our case is the first report of COVID-19 presenting as empyema among pediatrics. Pleural empyema should be considered as a rare complication of COVID-19. Since there is still no guideline in the management of empyema in the context of COVID-19, delay in diagnosis and intervention may cause morbidity and mortality in children.

A 31-Year-Old Man with COVID-19-Associated Empyema and Lupus Anticoagulant.

BACKGROUND COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020 in the United States. It has been associated with high mortality and morbidity all over the world. COVID-19 can cause a significant inflammatory response leading to coagulopathy and this hypercoagulable state has been associated with worse clinical outcomes in these patients. The published data regarding the presence of lupus anticoagulant in critically ill COVID-19-positive patients is limited and indicates varying conclusions so far. CASE REPORT Here, we present a case of a 31-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia, complicated with superadded bacterial empyema and required video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with decortication. This patient also had prolonged prothrombin time on preoperative labs, which was not corrected with mixing study. Further workup detected positive lupus anticoagulant and anti-cardiolipin IgM along with alteration in other coagulation factor levels. The patient was treated with fresh frozen plasma and vitamin K before surgical intervention. He had an uneventful surgical course. He received prophylactic-dose low molecular weight heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and did not experience any thrombotic events while hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 infection creates a prothrombotic state in affected patients. The formation of micro-thrombotic emboli results in significantly increased mortality and morbidity. Routine anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin can prevent thrombotic events and thus can improve patient outcomes. In patients with elevated prothrombin time, lupus anticoagulant/anti-cardiolipin antibody-positivity should be suspected, and anticoagulation prophylaxis should be continued perioperatively for better outcomes.