Pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema as respiratory complications of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are respiratory complications of Coronavirus disease 2019 occurring with noteworthy frequency in patients especially with severe disease. They can be life-threatening and often complicate patient managment. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study of patients admitted in Nepal Armed Police Force hospital from 13/05/2020 to 28/12/2021 diagnosed with pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum or subcutaneous emphysema singly or in combination. Data were collected from clinical charts, imaging records and electronic medical records of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-type 2 positive patients 18 years and older. The frequency and type of the defined complications, the inflammatory markers and ventilatory parameters just prior to their diagnosis, the duration of hospitalization and ICU admission and in-hospital mortality rate were studied. RESULTS: Out of 4013 COVID-19 patients admitted in the hospital during the period, a total of 28 patients were observed to develop the complications, the overall incidence being 0.7% among hospitalized patients and 5.6% among ICU patients. The proportion of subcutaneous emphysema (64.3%) was highest followed by pneumomediastinum (46.4%) and then pneumothorax (39.3%) existing singly or in combination among the 28 patients, where four patients developed the complications spontaneously. Mean Positive End Expiratory Pressure of 12.1±2.6 cmH2O and Peak Inspiratory Pressure or Pressure Support of 30.9±10.3 cmH2O were observed for patients under positive pressure ventilation. Most of the patients who developed the complications (78.6%) died during treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary air leak complications occur frequently in COVID-19 patients treated with or without positive pressure ventilation signifying increased disease severity, risk of ICU admission and high mortality rate. Hence, clinicians should be vigilant of these complications in all patients affected with COVID-19 and institute timely management.

Chest X-ray at Emergency Admission and Potential Association with Barotrauma in Mechanically Ventilated Patients: Experience from the Italian Core of the First Pandemic Peak.

Barotrauma occurs in a significant number of patients with COVID-19 interstitial pneumonia undergoing mechanical ventilation. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether the Brixia score (BS) calculated on chest-X-rays acquired at the Emergency Room was associated with barotrauma. We retrospectively evaluated 117 SARS-CoV-2 patients presented to the Emergency Department (ED) and then admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for mechanical ventilation between February and April 2020. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of barotrauma during their hospitalization. CXRs performed at ED admittance were assessed using the Brixia score. Distribution of barotrauma (pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema) was identified in chest CT scans. Thirty-eight subjects (32.5%) developed barotrauma (25 pneumomediastinum, 24 pneumothorax, 24 subcutaneous emphysema). In the barotrauma group we observed higher Brixia score values compared to the non-barotrauma group (mean value 12.18 vs. 9.28), and logistic regression analysis confirmed that Brixia score is associated with the risk of barotrauma. In this work, we also evaluated the relationship between barotrauma and clinical and ventilatory parameters: SOFA score calculated at ICU admittance and number of days of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) prior to intubation emerged as other potential predictors of barotrauma.

Pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Limited data is available on the incidence and outcomes of pneumothorax (PTX), pneumomediastinum (PNM), and subcutaneous emphysema (SCE) in COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of these complications in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted, involving adult COVID-19 patients admitted to Mayo Clinic Florida from 03/2020-06/2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of PTX/PNM/SCE. RESULTS: 1926 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were included, of which 518 were admitted to the ICU. The incidence of PTX/PNM/SCE was 6.3%. Patients with these complications were more likely to be male, Asian, and unvaccinated. Conversely, they were less likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patients who developed PTX/PNM/SCE after 72 hours of admission were more likely to receive high-dose corticosteroids and for an extended duration. The affected group had an adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital mortality of 13.32 (95%CI, 8.19-21.59) and ICU admission of 9.14 (95%CI, 5.3-12.78) compared to the unaffected group. CONCLUSION: Although the occurrence of PTX/PNM/SCE in hospitalized COVID-19 patients was rare, it was associated with worse outcomes. Corticosteroids may contribute to the pathogenesis of these complications; however, further studies are needed to investigate this relationship in more detail.

Pneumomediastinum in patients with COVID-19 undergoing CT pulmonary angiography: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Various complications have been reported in patients with COVID-19 including pneumomediastinum. METHODS: The primary objective of the study was to determine the incidence of pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 positive patients who underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). The secondary objectives were to analyse if the incidence of pneumomediastinum changed between March and May 2020 (peak of the first wave in the UK) and January 2021 (peak of the second wave in the UK) and to determine the mortality rate in patients with pneumomediastinum. We undertook an observational, retrospective, single-centre, cohort study of patients with COVID-19 admitted to Northwick Park Hospital. RESULTS: 74 patients in the first wave and 220 patients in the second wave met the study criteria. Two patients during the first wave and eleven patients during the second wave developed pneumomediastinum. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of pneumomediastinum changed from 2.7% during the first wave to 5% during the second wave and this change was not statistically significant (p value 0.4057). The difference in mortality rates of patients with pneumomediastinum in both waves of COVID-19 (69.23%) versus patients without pneumomediastinum in both waves of COVID-19 (25.62%) was statistically significant (p value 0.0005). Many patients with pneumomediastinum were ventilated, which could be a confounding factor. When controlling for ventilation, there was no statistically significant difference in the mortality rates of ventilated patients with pneumomediastinum (81.81%) versus ventilated patients without pneumomediastinum (59.30%) (p value 0.14).

The Macklin effect closely correlates with pneumomediastinum in acutely ill intubated patients with COVID-19 infection.

PURPOSE: Patients with COVID-19 infection are frequently found to have pulmonary barotrauma. Recent work has identified the Macklin effect as a radiographic sign that often occurs in patients with COVID-19 and may correlate with barotrauma. METHODS: We evaluated chest CT scans in COVID-19 positive mechanically ventilated patients for the Macklin effect and any type of pulmonary barotrauma. Patient charts were reviewed to identify demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The Macklin effect on chest CT scan was identified in a total of 10/75 (13.3%) COVID-19 positive mechanically ventilated patients; 9 developed barotrauma. Patients with the Macklin effect on chest CT scan had a 90% rate of pneumomediastinum (p < 0.001) and a trend toward a higher rate of pneumothorax (60%, p = 0.09). Pneumothorax was most frequently omolateral to the site of the Macklin effect (83.3%). CONCLUSION: The Macklin effect may be a strong radiographic biomarker for pulmonary barotrauma, most strongly correlating with pneumomediastinum. Studies in ARDS patients without COVID-19 are needed to validate this sign in a broader population. If validated in a broad population, future critical care treatment algorithms may include the Macklin sign for clinical decision making and prognostication.

Risk factors of pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum in COVID-19: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: During the novel coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, a considerable number of pneumothorax (PNX)/pneumomediastinum (PNM) associated with COVID-19 have been reported, and the incidence is higher in critically ill patients. Despite using a protective ventilation strategy, PNX/PNM still occurs in patients on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). This matched case-control study aims to identify the risk factors and clinical characteristics of PNX/PNM in COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled adult patients with COVID-19, admitted to a critical care unit from March 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022. COVID-19 patients with PNX/PNM were compared, in a 1-2 ratio, to COVID-19 patients without PNX/PNM, matched for age, gender, and worst National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ordinal scale. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the risk factors for PNX/PNM in COVID-19. RESULTS: 427 patients with COVID-19 were admitted during the period, and 24 patients were diagnosed with PNX/PNM. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly lower in the case group (22.8 kg/m2 and 24.7 kg/m2; P = 0.048). BMI was statistically significant risk factor for PNX/PNM in univariate conditional logistic regression analysis [odds ratio (OR), 0.85; confidence interval (CI), 0.72-0.996; P = 0.044]. For patients on IMV support, univariate conditional logistic regression analysis showed the statistical significance of the duration from symptom onset to intubation (OR, 1.14; CI, 1.006-1.293; P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Higher BMI tended to show a protective effect against PNX/PNM due to COVID-19 and delayed application of IMV might be a contributive factor for this complication.

Incidence and Outcome of Pneumomediastinum in Non-ICU Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Pneumomediastinum (PNM) is a rare complication of mechanical ventilation, but its reported occurrence in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to COVID-19 is significant. The objective is to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of PNM in non-ICU hospitalized patients with severe-to-critical COVID-19 pneumonia. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Population-based, single-setting, tertiary-care level COVID treatment center. PATIENTS: Individuals hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia and severe to critical illness were included. Those hospitalized without respiratory failure, observed for less than 24 hours, or admitted from an ICU were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All patients underwent a complete clinical assessment and chest CT scan, and were followed up from hospitalization to discharge or death. The outcome was the number of cases of PNM, defined as the presence of free air in the mediastinal tissues diagnosed by chest CT scan, in non-ICU hospitalized patients and the subsequent risk of intubation and mortality. PNM occurred in 48 out of 331 participants. The incidence was 14.5% (95% CI, 10.9-18.8%). A CT-Scan Severity score greater than 15 was positively associated with PNM (odds ratio [OR], 4.09; p = 0.002) and was observed in 35.2% of the participants (95% CI, 26.2-44.9%). Noninvasive ventilation was also positively associated with PNM (OR, 4.46; p = 0.005), but there was no positive association with airway pressures. Fifty patients (15%) were intubated, and 88 (27%) died. Both the risk for intubation and mortality were higher in patients with PNM, with a hazard ratio of 3.72 ( p < 0.001) and 3.27 ( p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Non-ICU hospitalized patients with COVID-19 have a high incidence of PNM, increasing the risk for intubation and mortality three- to four-fold, particularly in those with extensive lung damage. These findings help define the risk and outcome of PNM in severe-to-critical COVID-19 pneumonia in a non-ICU setting.

Utility of fluoroscopic oesophagography in the setting of spontaneous and blunt traumatic pneumomediastinum.

AIM: To determine the incidence of positive fluoroscopic oesophagography in patients presenting with spontaneous or blunt traumatic pneumomediastinum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent fluoroscopic oesophagography for spontaneous or blunt traumatic pneumomediastinum between 2001-2019. Patients were excluded for history of oesophageal surgery, penetrating trauma, oesophageal cancer, or tracheal/oesophageal instrumentation. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-two patients met the inclusion criteria; 170 presented with spontaneous pneumomediastinum and 82 presented with blunt traumatic pneumomediastinum. Fluoroscopic oesophagography was positive in eight patients with spontaneous pneumomediastinum, for a positivity rate of 4.7% (8/170). There was one false-negative case in a patient who presented with spontaneous pneumomediastinum and was found to have a non-full-thickness oesophageal injury on endoscopy. Fluoroscopic oesophagography was negative in all patients with blunt traumatic pneumomediastinum (0/82). The sensitivity and specificity of fluoroscopic oesophagography were 88.9% (8/9) and 100% (243/243), respectively. Oesophageal injury was more common in patients with spontaneous pneumomediastinum and a pleural effusion (5/11, 45.4%) than in patients with spontaneous pneumomediastinum and no pleural effusion (4/159, 2.5%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The present findings do not support routine oesophagography in patients with blunt traumatic pneumomediastinum. Conversely, a positivity rate of 4.7% in patients with spontaneous pneumomediastinum suggests oesophagography may be warranted in this population, particularly if an associated pleural effusion is present.

Incidence and Prognosis of Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause multisystem complications, with pulmonary involvement associated with the highest mortality. Pneumothorax (PT) and pneumomediastinum (PM) are uncommon complications of COVID-19 that have been reported to occur in the absence of trauma or mechanical ventilation. This study seeks to determine the incidence of these complications in patients with COVID-19 and evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes. METHODS: We identified 3375 patients admitted to our health system during March 2020 through November 2020 who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with a polymerase chain reaction test. Patients were screened for PT or PM and were matched to COVID-19-positive patients without PT and/or PM. Data compared demographics, clinical characteristics, and laboratory values. RESULTS: Out of a total of 3375 COVID-19 admissions, 33 patients with PT/PM (1%) were compared to 32 matched controls without PT and/or PM. The patients with PT and/or PM demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of concomitant cancer diagnosis than those without PT and/or PM (18% vs 3%, respectively; P = 0.05). Those with PT and/or PM required significantly more invasive mechanical ventilation than those without PT and/or PM (79% vs 47%; P < 0.01). Mortality was significantly higher among those patients with PT and/or PM than those without PT/PM (55% vs 25%; P < 0.05). DISCUSSION: A significant number of COVID-19 patients with PT and/or PM had a concomitant cancer diagnosis, required supplemental oxygen on admission, and invasive mechanical ventilation during hospitalization. Additionally, the COVID patients with PT and/or PM had significantly higher mortality compared to those without PT and/or PM. However, with all retrospective studies, there are limitations.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: a surrogate of P-SILI in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SP) has been described early during the COVID-19 pandemic in large series of patients with severe pneumonia, but most patients were receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) at the time of SP diagnosis. In this retrospective multicenter observational study, we aimed at describing the prevalence and outcomes of SP during severe COVID-19 with pneumonia before any IMV, to rule out mechanisms induced by IMV in the development of pneumomediastinum.Among 549 patients, 21 patients (4%) developed a SP while receiving non-invasive respiratory support, after a median of 6 days [4-12] from ICU admission. The proportion of patients requiring IMV was similar. However, the time to tracheal intubation was longer in patients with SP (6 days [5-13] vs. 2 days [1-4]; P = 0.00002), with a higher first-line use of non-invasive ventilation (n = 11; 52% vs. n = 150; 28%; P = 0.02). The 21 patients who developed a SP had persisting signs of severe lung disease and respiratory failure with lower ROX index between ICU admission and occurrence of SP (3.94 [3.15-5.55] at admission vs. 3.25 [2.73-4.02] the day preceding SP; P = 0.1), which may underline potential indirect signals of Patient-self inflicted lung injury (P-SILI).In this series of critically ill COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of SP without IMV was not uncommon, affecting 4% of patients. They received more often vasopressors and had a longer ICU length of stay, as compared with their counterparts. One pathophysiological mechanism may potentially be carried out by P-SILI related to a prolonged respiratory failure, as underlined by a delayed use of IMV and the evolution of the ROX index between ICU admission and the day preceding SP.

Cervico-Thoracic Air Collections in COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients - Our Experience and Brief Review.

Introduction: Abstract COVID-19 (Coronavirus-19 disease), a new clinical entity caused by SARS-COV-2 infection, could explain the physiopathology of cervicothoracic air collections (pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema). Material and Methods: We conducted an 8-months retrospective analysis of a single-center SARS-CoV-2 cases associating pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema, either alone or combined. Results: All non-intubated patients with the complications cited above had a favorable outcome after pleural drainage, percutaneous drainage, and/or conservative treatment, while the intubated patients, with multiple comorbidities, have had an unfavorable outcome, regardless the chosen treatment. Pleural drainage was used for pneumothorax cases; pneumomediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema required insertion of subcutaneous needles or angio-catheters with manual decompressive massage. Conservative methods of treatment were used for patients with pneumomediastinum and medium or severe respiratory disfunction. Conclusions: Etiopathogenic classification of pneumothorax should include SARS-CoV-2 infection as a possible cause of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax due to COVID-19 pneumonia. Survival rate after the occurrence of these complications was small (18,75%), 4 of the patients were cured, 2 had a favorable outcome and 26 have died. Pleural drainage which is mandatory to do for patients with pneumothorax complication in COVID -19 pneumonia, doesn't change the prognosis for those with severe affecting lungs, because the prolonged ventilation and the other comorbidities have led to death in most of these cases.

Barotrauma in COVID 19: Incidence, pathophysiology, and effect on prognosis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of barotrauma (pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema) in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. To describe the chest radiography patterns of barotrauma and understand the development in relation to mechanical ventilation and patient mortality. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 363 patients with COVID-19 from March 1 to April 8, 2020. Primary outcomes were pneumomediastinum or subcutaneous emphysema with or without pneumothorax, pneumoperitoneum, or pneumoretroperitoneum. The secondary outcomes were length of intubation and death. In patients with pneumomediastinum and/or subcutaneous emphysema, we conducted an imaging review to determine the timeline of barotrauma development. RESULTS: Forty three out of 363 (12%) patients developed barotrauma radiographically. The median time to development of either pneumomediastinum or subcutaneous emphysema was 2 days (IQR 1.0-4.5) after intubation and the median time to pneumothorax was 7 days (IQR 2.0-10.0). The overall incidence of pneumothorax was 28/363 (8%) with an incidence of 17/43 (40%) in the barotrauma cohort and 11/320 (3%) in those without barotrauma (p ≤ 0.001). In total, 257/363 (71%) patients died with an increase in mortality in those with barotrauma 33/43 (77%) vs. 224/320 (70%). When adjusting for covariates, barotrauma was associated with increased odds of death (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.25-7.17). CONCLUSION: Barotrauma is a frequent complication of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. In comparison to intubated COVID-19 patients without barotrauma, there is a higher rate of pneumothorax and an increased risk of death.

Mechanical Ventilation Associated Pneumomediastinum - A Rising Incidence of Cases in an Emergency Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemics.

Introduction: Mechanical ventilation is a last resort solution for patients presenting with acute respiratory distress syndrome produced by SARS-CoV-2. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare pathology associated with invasive mechanical ventilation. The objective of our research was to highlight the increased incidence of spontaneous pneumomediastinum during the COVID-19 pandemics in our hospital. Material and method: A retrospective review of the cases in our hospital requiring surgical evaluation was performed. Electronic health records from our institution were searched for nontraumatic pneumomediastinum from October to November 2021. All patients that were identified with pneumomediastinum were included in the review. Results: We identified 12 mechanical ventilated patients that presented with free air in the mediastinum on a computed tomography during the study period. All of the patients had SARS-CoV-2 bronchopneumonia with extensive pulmonary involvement. The mortality rate among these patients was 58.33%. Conclusions: The main take-home message of our study is that the incidence of mechanically ventilation-associated pneumomediastinum was exponentially higher during the fourth wave of COVID-19. There is a need for multicenter data in this pathology for a better approach and to define surgical management options for these patients.

Pneumomediastinum in the COVID-19 era: to drain or not to drain?

Pneumomediastinum (PNM) is a rare clinical finding, usually with a benign course, which is managed conservatively in the majority of cases. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increased incidence of PNM has been observed. Several reports of PNM cases in COVID-19 have been reported in the literature and were managed either conservatively or surgically. In this study, we present our institutional experience of COVID-19 associated PNM, propose a management algorithm, and review the current literature. In total, 43 Case Series were identified, including a total of 747 patients, of whom 374/747 (50.1%) were intubated at the time of diagnosis, 168/747 (22.5%) underwent surgical drain insertion at admission, 562/747 (75.2%) received conservative treatment (observation or mechanical ventilation. Inpatient mortality was 51.8% (387/747), while 45.1% of the population recovered and/or was discharged (337/747). In conclusion, with increased incidence of PNM in COVID-19 patients reported in the literature, it is still difficult to assign a true causal relationship between PNM and mortality. We can, however, see that PMN plays an important role in disease prognosis.  Due to increased complexity, high mortality, and associated complications, conservative management may not be sufficient, and a surgical approach is needed.

Macklin effect on baseline chest CT scan accurately predicts barotrauma in COVID-19 patients.

PURPOSE: To validate the role of Macklin effect on chest CT imaging in predicting subsequent occurrence of pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax (PMD/PNX) in COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational, case-control study. Consecutive COVID-19 patients who underwent chest CT scan at hospital admission during the study time period (October 1st, 2020-April 31st, 2021) were identified. Macklin effect accuracy for prediction of spontaneous barotrauma was measured in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV). RESULTS: Overall, 981 COVID-19 patients underwent chest CT scan at hospital arrival during the study time period; 698 patients had radiological signs of interstitial pneumonia and were considered for further evaluation. Among these, Macklin effect was found in 33 (4.7%), including all 32 patients who suffered from barotrauma lately during hospital stay (true positive rate: 96.9%); only 1/33 with Macklin effect did not develop barotrauma (false positive rate: 3.1%). No barotrauma event was recorded in patients without Macklin effect on baseline chest CT scan. Macklin effect yielded a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 89.1-100), a specificity of 99.85% (95% CI: 99.2-100), a PPV of 96.7% (95% CI: 80.8-99.5), a NPV of 100% and an accuracy of 99.8% (95% CI: 99.2-100) in predicting PMD/PNX, with a mean advance of 3.2 ± 2.5 days. Moreover, all Macklin-positive patients developed ARDS requiring ICU admission and, in 90.1% of cases, invasive mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: Macklin effect has high accuracy in predicting PMD/PNX in COVID-19 patients; it is also an excellent predictor of disease severity.

The clinical course of pneumomediastinum in patients with SARS-CoV-2 before invasive mechanical ventilation.

Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax are recognised complications encountered in COVID-19 before or during invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The clinical course of patients developing pneumomediastinum before IMV is yet to be evaluated.Four-thousand, one-hundred and thirty-one patients hospitalised with COVID-19 over a 12-month period were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate for incidence, clinical characteristics and outcomes. A subgroup analysis was done to identify any clinical traits between survivors and non-survivors. The overall incidence of pneumomediastinum prior to IMV was 0.92% (n=38) and was seen at admission or during non-invasive respiratory support. Thirty-seven per cent had associated pneumothorax most commonly unilateral (right side). The median (interquartile range (IQR)) duration from admission to developing pneumomediastinum was 7 days (3-11) and complete resolution was seen in 53% of patients; median (IQR) duration to resolution was 8 days (4-17). The in-hospital mortality associated with pneumomediastinum in patients with SARS-CoV-2 (PneumoCoV) was 55%. Increasing age (68 ± 12 years vs 56 ± 14 years; p=0.01), higher body mass index (31 ± 5 kg/m2 vs 28 ± 5 kg/m2; p=0.04), lack of resolution of pneumomediastinum (67% vs 24%; p=0.01; odds ratio (OR) 6.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-27.5), presence of concurrent pneumothorax (65% vs 14%; p=0.002; OR 11; 95% CI 2.2-53.1) and elevated procalcitonin levels (>0.5 ng/mL; 81% vs 41%; p=0.01; OR 6; 95% CI 1.4-26) were significant features in those who did not survive.The incidence of PneumoCoV, despite being low, is associated with increased mortality. It is a hallmark of moderate to severe disease with multifaceted contributory factors. Both demographic and clinical factors predict survival.

Incidence and Clinical Features of Pneumomediastinum and Pneumothorax in COVID-19 Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Pneumothorax (PTX) and pneumomediastinum (PM), collectively termed here "air leak", are now well described complications of severe COVID-19 pneumonia across several case series. The incidence is thought to be approximately 1% but is not definitively known. OBJECTIVES: To report the incidence and describe the demographic features, risk factors and outcomes of patients with air leak as a complication of COVID-19. METHODS: A retrospective observational study on all adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to Watford General Hospital, West Hertfordshire NHS Trust between March 1st 2020 and Feb 28th 2021. Patients with air leak were identified after reviewing both chest radiographs (CXRs) and axial imaging (CT Thorax) with confirmatory radiology reports inclusive of the terms PTX and/or PM. RESULTS: Air leak occurred with an incidence of 0.56%. Patients with air leak were younger and had evidence of more severe disease at presentation, including a higher median CRP and number of abnormal zones affected on chest radiograph. Asthma was a significant risk factor in the development of air leak (OR 13.4 [4.7-36.4]), both spontaneously and following positive pressure ventilation. CPAP and IMV were also associated with a greater than six fold increase in the risk of air leak (OR 6.4 [2.5-16.6] and 9.8 [3.7-27.8] respectively). PTX, with or without PM, in the context of COVID-19 pneumonia was almost universally fatal whereas those with alone PM had a lower risk of death. CONCLUSION: Despite the global vaccination programme, patients continue to develop severe COVID-19 disease and may require respiratory support. This study demonstrates the importance of identifying that deterioration in such patients may be resultant from PTX or PM, particularly in asthmatics and those managed with positive pressure ventilation.

Did primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum risk factor alter in the period of COVID-19 pandemia?

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to establish risk factors for primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum associated with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and reveal those which are significant. METHODS: The study included 62 patients with primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum who presented to our hospital between 11 March 2020, the date of the first-reported COVID-19 case in our country, and 3 January 2021. Of these, 14 patients (22.6%) had COVID-19 and 48 patients (77.4%) did not have COVID-19. RESULTS: Of the 62 patients included in the study, 41 (66.1%) were male and 21 (33.9%) were female. The mean age was 28.90 ± 16.86 (range, 16-84) years. The most common symptom at admission was chest pain (54.8%). The mean age of the patients with COVID-19 was 39.35 ± 23.04 years and that of the patients without COVID-19 was 25.85 ± 13.45 years (P < 0.001). In receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve for age was 0.785 (95% confidence interval: 0.648-0.922) and the optimal cut-off value was 24 years for COVID-19-positive patients. The highest sensitivity and specificity values were 0.857 and 0.729. Twelve (85.79%) of the COVID-19-positive primary spontaneous pneumomediastinum patients were aged 24 years or older (P < 0.001). Five patients (8.1%) had positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 polymerase chain reaction test but no abnormal findings on computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS: Having an age of more than 24 years was associated with a higher prevalence of pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 patients and emerged as an important risk factor. Multicentre studies with more cases are needed to determine whether pneumomediastinum is associated with additional other risk factors related to COVID-19.

Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Outcomes of Pneumomediastinum in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Since the beginning of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, pneumomediastinum has been reported in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. It has been suggested that pneumomediastinum may portend a worse outcome in such patients although no investigation has established this association definitively. Research Question: We hypothesized that the finding of pneumomediastinum in the setting of COVID-19 disease may be associated with a worse clinical outcome. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of pneumomediastinum was predictive of increased mortality in patients with COVID-19. Study Design and Methods: A retrospective case-control study utilizing clinical data and imaging for COVID-19 patients seen at our institution from 3/7/2020 to 5/20/2020 was performed. 87 COVID-19 positive patients with pneumomediastinum were compared to 87 COVID-19 positive patients without pneumomediastinum and to a historical group of patients with pneumomediastinum during the same time frame in 2019. Results: The incidence of pneumomediastinum was increased more than 6-fold during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2019 (P = <.001). 1.5% of all COVID-19 patients and 11% of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients at our institution developed pneumomediastinum. Patients who developed pneumomediastinum had a significantly higher PEEP and lower P/F ratio than those who did not (P = .002 and .033, respectively). Pneumomediastinum was not found to be associated with increased mortality (P = .16, confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-2.09, 1.37). The presence of concurrent pneumothorax at the time of pneumomediastinum diagnosis was associated with increased mortality (P = .013 CI: 1.15-3.17, 1.91). Conclusion: Pneumomediastinum is not independently associated with a worse clinical prognosis in COVID-19 positive patients. The presence of concurrent pneumothorax was associated with increased mortality.

Incidence and risk factors for pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of pneumomediastinum (PNMD), its causes of development and its effect on prognosis in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are not clear. METHODS: Between March 2020 and December 2020, 427 patients with real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit were analysed retrospectively. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) for initial invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) variables such as initial peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), PaO2/FiO2 (P/F ratio), tidal volume, compliance and positive end-expiratory pressure was evaluated regarding PNMD development. RESULTS: The incidence of PNMD was 5.6% (n = 24). PNMD development rate was 2.7% in non-invasive MV and 6.2% in MV [odds ratio (OR) 2.352, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.541-10.232; P = 0.400]. In the multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors affecting the development of PNMD were PIP (OR 1.238, 95% CI 1.091-1.378; P < 0.001) and P/F ratio (OR 0.982, 95% CI 0.971-0.994; P = 0.004). P/F ratio (AUC 0.815, 95% CI 0.771-0.854), PIP (AUC 0.780, 95% CI 0.734-0.822), compliance (AUC 0.735, 95% CI 0.677-0.774) and positive end-expiratory pressure (AUC 0.718, 95% CI 0.668-0.764) were the best predictors for PNMD development. Regarding the multivariate analysis, independent risk factors affecting mortality were detected as age (OR 1.015, 95% CI 0.999-1.031; P = 0.04), comorbidity (OR 1.940, 95% CI 1.100-3.419; P = 0.02), mode of breathing (OR 48.345, 95% CI 14.666-159.360; P < 0.001), PNMD (OR 5.234, 95% CI 1.379-19.857; P = 0.01), positive end-expiratory pressure (OR 1.305, 95% CI 1.062-1.603; P = 0.01) and tidal volume (OR 0.995, 95% CI 0.992-0.998; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: PNMD development was associated with the initial P/F ratio and PIP. Therefore, it was considered to be related to both the patient and barotrauma. PNMD is a poor prognostic factor for COVID-19.