Spontaneous pneumothorax as a complication of lung injury due to COVID-19

The objective of the study: to study the course and clinical outcomes of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) in patients with lung injury due to COVID-19. Subjects and methods . Clinical and radiation data of 11 patients (above 18 years old) with SP due to COVID-19 were retrospectively analyzed, they all were treated in the thoracic surgery department. COVID-19 was confirmed in all patients by laboratory tests. According to the chest computed tomography, the patients had signs typical of viral pneumonia and SP. Results. The surgical treatment of SP that included thoracocentesis on the pneumothorax side and closed drainage of the pleural cavity allowed resolving the pneumothorax and inflating the lung fully in 10/11 patients within 4 days on average (max = 7 days) from the moment when the surgery was done. The lethal outcome was in 1/11 (9.1%) patient which occurred 1 day after the diagnosis and successful drainage of the bilateral SP, the patient had symptoms of acute cardiovascular failure.