ABSTRACT
Pleural space diseases constitute a wide range of benign and malignant conditions, including pneumothorax, pleural effusion and empyema, chylothorax, pleural-based tumors, and mesothelioma. The focus of this article is the surgical management of the 2 most common pleural disorders seen in modern thoracic surgery practice: spontaneous pneumothorax and empyema.
Subject(s)
Chylothorax , Empyema , Pleural Diseases , Pleural Effusion , Pneumothorax , Chylothorax/etiology , Chylothorax/surgery , Humans , Pleural Diseases/surgery , Pneumothorax/surgeryABSTRACT
Patients with COVID-19 are at risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Barotrauma in these patients often leads to clinically significant pneumothorax, which necessitates chest tube thoracostomy. However, given the mode of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus and the aerosolizing nature of the procedure, special considerations and care must be taken to mitigate the exposure risks to health care personnel. This article discusses the risk mitigation strategies proposed and under review at the authors' institution.