Negative-pressure wound therapy to treat thoracic empyema with COVID-19-related persistent air leaks: A case report.

ABSTRACT: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in a global pandemic. Recently, COVID-19-related pneumothorax has gained attention because of the associated prolonged hospital stay and high mortality. While most cases of pneumothorax respond well to conservative and supportive care, some cases of refractory pneumothorax with persistent air leaks (PALs) do not respond to conventional therapies. There is a lack of evidence-based management strategies to this regard. We describe the case of a 73-year-old man with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who developed delayed tension pneumothorax with PALs caused by alveolopleural fistulas. Despite chest tube drainage, autologous blood pleurodesis, and endoscopic procedures, the PALs could not be closed, and were compl

SUBMITTER: Konagaya K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9402970 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature