The American journal of case reports
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Case Reports
A Case of Spontaneous Pneumothorax 21 Days After Diagnosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pneumonia.
BACKGROUND At the end of 2019, coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was recognized as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in China. There are numerous complications associated with COVID-19 infection, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure, circulatory shock, and multi-organ failure. Spontaneous pneumothorax following COVID-19 pneumonia is an extremely rare complication. ⋯ He returned 21 days after discharge with a spontaneous pneumothorax. CONCLUSIONS Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare complication after apparent recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia. It is imperative that treating physicians are aware of this complication in order to recognize it early and treat it promptly.
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BACKGROUND The role of tracheostomy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still to be determined, and the complication rate of the tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients is still unknown. Postintubation tracheal stenosis is a well-known risk of prolonged endotracheal intubation, but it is too early to define the existence of any difference among the COVID-19 cohort of patients and non-COVID-19 patients. This report is of 2 cases of COVID-19 pneumonia that required tracheostomy and prolonged endotracheal intubation, which were followed by delayed tracheal stenosis. CASE REPORT Case 1. ⋯ CT scan and bronchoscopy showed signs of tracheal stenosis. The patient had to undergo tracheal resection. CONCLUSIONS The 2 cases presented in this report have shown that even when patients recover from severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation, tracheal stenosis should be recognized as a potential complication and careful follow-up is required.
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Case Reports
Short-Term Corticosteroid Therapy for Early Exacerbation of COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Report.
BACKGROUND The effect of corticosteroids in the management of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear. CASE REPORT A 67-year-old man who tested positive for COVID-19 by reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis was admitted to our hospital. On admission, he had no dyspnea and his oxygen saturation (SpO₂) level was normal. ⋯ Four days after admission, bilateral lung shadows worsened, with a slight reduction in SpO₂ levels. Short-term corticosteroid therapy was initiated, and SpO₂ and radiographic findings promptly improved without use of antiviral agents. CONCLUSIONS More data are required to ascertain the role of corticosteroids in the management of COVID-19 pneumonia.