SULEYMAN ANİL AKBOGA, ANİL GOKCE, MERVE HATİPOGLU, AYSEGUL INCİ SEZEN, YUCEL AKKAS, DENİZ ERDEM, BULENT KOCER
Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia - 2022;33(3):270-276
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate pleural complications in patients who were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 164 patients who applied to our hospital between March 2020 and May 2021 with PCR-positive for SARS-CoV-2 were retrospectively evaluated and were followed up and treated in the service or intensive care unit. Pleural complications were detected during the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. In the current study, mortality was taken as the death of the patients in the first 30 days after hospitalization. Pleural complications occurring during treatment were classified into two groups: the pneumothorax (PNX) group and the pneumomediastinum (PMN) group. Results: Of the patients, 69 (52.3%) had isolated PNX and 14 (43.7%) had isolated PMN. PNX and subcutaneous emphysema were determined in 50 (37.9%) patients, PMN and subcutaneous emphysema were determined in 13 (40.6%), PMN, PNX, and subcutaneous emphysema were determined in 3 (9.4%), and PMN and PNX were determined in 2 (6.3%) patients. Hydro-PNX was determined in 12 (9.1%) patients, and PNX and empyema were determined in 1 (0.7%) patient. When the relationship between pleural complications occurring during treatment due to COVID-19 pneumonia and mortality was examined, mortality was observed in 14 (43.8%) of the PMN patients and 104 (78.8%) of the PNX patients (p<0.001). When the relationship between gender and mortality was examined, mortality was observed in 75 (65.8%) of the male patients and in 43 (86%) of the female patients (p=0.008). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: As a result, it was found that PNX after positive pressure ventilation increased mortality more than other pleural complications and worsened the prognosis. We think this issue will contribute to the literature in the COVID-19 pandemic and in pandemic diseases that may occur later and cause pleural involvement.
