Bilateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax in a COVID-19 and HIV-Positive Patient: A Case Report.

This case report describes a 60 year-old Black-American male with a past medical history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hyperthyroidism, who suffered a bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) in the setting of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. SP is a well-established complication in HIV-positive patients and only recently has been associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. While HIV and COVID-19 infections have been independently linked with increased risk of SP development, it is unknown if both infections interact in a synergistic fashion to exacerbate SP risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), patients living with HIV have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 infection and the mechanism remains to be elucidated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a HIV-positive patient, who in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection, developed bilateral apical spontaneous pneumothorax and was later found to have a left lower lobe tension pneumothorax. This case highlights the importance of considering SP on the differential diagnosis when HIV-positive patients suddenly develop respiratory distress in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A Survey of the Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Skill Decay Among Surgery and Anesthesia Residents.

OBJECTIVE: The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted healthcare delivery and strained medical training. This study explores resident and faculty perceptions regarding the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on technical skill decay of surgical and anesthesia residents. We hypothesized that many residents perceived that their technical abilities diminished due to a short period of interruption in their training. DESIGN: An IRB-exempt, web-based cross-sectional survey distributed to residents and faculty SETTING: Two large academic tertiary medical centers, North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, of the Northwell Health System in New York. PARTICIPANTS: General surgery, anesthesiology, plastic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, oral maxillofacial surgery, urology, podiatry residents and faculty. RESULTS: All residents reported a significant impact on their training. Residents (82%) and faculty (94%) reported a significant reduction in case volumes due to the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.05). 64% of residents reported a reduction in technical skills, and 75% of faculty perceived a decrease in resident technical skills. Residents were concerned about fulfilling ACGME case requirements, however faculty were more optimistic that residents would achieve level-appropriate proficiency by the conclusion of their training. Both residents and faculty felt that resident critical care skills improved as a result of redeployment to COVID-19 intensive care units (66% and 94%). Additionally, residents reported increased confidence in their ability to care for critically ill patients and positive impact on professional competencies. CONCLUSIONS: Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on residency training are multi-dimensional. The majority of surgical and anesthesia residents perceived that their technical ability diminished as a result of skill decay, whereas other skillsets improved. Longitudinal surveillance of trainees is warranted to evaluate the effect of reduced operative volume and redeployment on professional competency.

Pneumatosis Intestinalis in the Setting of COVID-19: A Single Center Case Series From New York.

This case series reviews four critically ill patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] suffering from pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) during their hospital admission. All patients received the biological agent tocilizumab (TCZ), an interleukin (IL)-6 antagonist, as an experimental treatment for COVID-19 before developing PI. COVID-19 and TCZ have been independently linked to PI risk, yet the cause of this relationship is unknown and under speculation. PI is a rare condition, defined as the presence of gas in the intestinal wall, and although its pathogenesis is poorly understood, intestinal ischemia is one of its causative agents. Based on COVID-19's association with vasculopathic and ischemic insults, and IL-6's protective role in intestinal epithelial ischemia-reperfusion injury, an adverse synergistic association of COVID-19 and TCZ can be proposed in the setting of PI. To our knowledge, this is the first published, single center, case series of pneumatosis intestinalis in COVID-19 patients who received tocilizumab therapy.