Abstract
Tension pneumomediastinum (TPM) is a rare but potentially fatal clinical entity. TPM leads to the leakage of air into the mediastinal cavity and increased pressure in thoracic vessels, respiratory tract, and the heart. Herein, this report presents a series of five cases of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) that caused acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and TPM. All patients were male who had severe ARDS with a secondary lung infection that required invasive ventilation and had moderate positive-end expiratory pressure. All patients required vasopressors to maintain hemodynamics, and two patients needed decompression with chest drains. One patient received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy. Three patients had cardiac arrest, and two patients died; thus, the mortality rate was 40%. Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia with ARDS required invasive ventilation and prone positioning. Secondary lung infection can cause TPM, and TPM may cause cardiac arrest. Management should be prompt recognition and decompression with the insertion of drains, and conservative treatment is required in stable cases. Protocols for the management of pneumomediastinum and TPM may enable early detection, earlier management, and prevention of TPM.
Highlights
Pneumomediastinum is a clinical entity defined as the presence of air in the mediastinum
This report presents a series of five cases of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) that caused acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and Tension pneumomediastinum (TPM)
Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia may progress to full-blown acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) within a short period.[2]
Summary
Pneumomediastinum is a clinical entity defined as the presence of air in the mediastinum. He was managed as per the hospital COVID-19 protocol at that time He was advised self-prone positioning with oxygen supplementation, but on day 4, his condition deteriorated, requiring intubation and ventilation. During his ICU stay, he developed a cytokine storm requiring interleukin (IL-6) antagonist tocilizumab and steroids. No evident pneumothorax was noted on the CXR on that day During this period, he had been on high ventilatory setting, including controlled mandatory ventilation (CMV) with FiO2 of 50%, tidal volume of 350 ml, positive-end expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 8 mmHg, and respiratory rate of 30 breaths per minute. Case 2 A 71-year-old man, nonsmoker with a past medical history of osteoarthritis and hypertension being
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