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Subcutaneous Emphysema, Pneumomediastinum, and Pneumothorax in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Jones, E; Gould, A; Pillay, TD; Khorasanee, R; Sykes, R; Bazo-Alvarez, JC; Cox, C; ... Khaliq, W; + view all (2020) Subcutaneous Emphysema, Pneumomediastinum, and Pneumothorax in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Critical Care Explorations , 2 (9) , Article e0210. 10.1097/CCE.0000000000000210. Green open access

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Abstract

Importance: Management of severe coronavirus disease 2019 relies on advanced respiratory support modalities including invasive mechanical ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure, and noninvasive ventilation, all of which are associated with the development of subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and pneumothorax (herein collectively termed barotrauma). Objectives: To assess the occurrence rate of barotrauma in severe coronavirus disease 2019 and to explore possible associated factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective, single-center cohort study with nested case series, conducted at University Hospital Lewisham: a 450-bed general hospital in London, United Kingdom. All patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 admitted to the critical care department from March 12, to April 12, 2020, were included. Main Outcomes and Measures: Patients were retrospectively screened for radiological evidence of barotrauma. Admission characteristics, modalities of respiratory support, and outcomes were compared between barotrauma and nonbarotrauma groups. Respiratory parameters in the period preceding barotrauma identification were recorded. Results: Of 83 admissions with coronavirus disease 2019, eight suffered barotrauma (occurrence rate 9.6%; 95% CI 4.3%-18.1%). Barotrauma cases had longer illness duration prior to critical care admission (10 vs 7 d; interquartile range, 8-14 and 6-10, respectively; p = 0.073) and were more often treated with continuous positive airway pressure or noninvasive ventilation as the initial modality of advanced respiratory support (87.5% vs 36.0%; p = 0.007). Patients managed with continuous positive airway pressure or noninvasive ventilation prior to the development of barotrauma had median minute ventilation of 16.2-19.9 and 21.3-22.7 L/min, respectively. Compared with the nonbarotrauma group, a higher proportion of patients with barotrauma had died (62.5% vs 43.2%), and a lower proportion of patients had been discharged (25.0% vs 53.3%) at 3-month follow-up. Conclusions and Relevance: Barotrauma appears to be a common complication of severe coronavirus disease 2019. Determining whether high minute ventilation while using continuous positive airway pressure or noninvasive ventilation predisposes patients to barotrauma requires further investigation.

Type: Article
Title: Subcutaneous Emphysema, Pneumomediastinum, and Pneumothorax in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1097/CCE.0000000000000210
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1097/CCE.0000000000000210
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
Keywords: barotrauma, coronavirus disease 2019, critical care, mediastinal emphysema, pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Primary Care and Population Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10179943
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