Case Series of Pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 Infection

Abstract

Introduction: Pneumomediastinum is rare in viral infection of the lung however in COVID-19 patients it is more common. Study Design: Case series of 14 moderate to severe COVID cases complicated by Pneumomediastinum admitted to Saint George Hospital over 4 months. Data was collected retrospectively from medical charts of the patients. Results: Most of the patients were males. Average hospital stay was 15.21 days. Five patients (35.72%) developed pneumomediastinum without any kind of mechanical ventilation during hospitalization. Around 35.72% of the patients were discharged and the average time till death was 8.8 days. Conclusion: Pneumomediastinum can develop without any positive pressure ventilation in COVID-19 infection.