ABSTRACT
Introduction. Pneumomediastinum is a frequent complication in patients with COVID-19, caused in the context of a major inflammatory process Methodology. A descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study was conducted. We reviewed the chest CT scans and medical records of patients with/without a diagnosis of COVID-19 between April 1 and July 30, 2020. Results. We identified 66 patients with pneumomediastinum and a diagnosis of COVID-19. The prevalence found was 3.2%, 81.8% corresponded to males, the average age was 53.4 years, the average length of stay in hospital was 22.98 days, the most frequent comorbidities were obesity, diabetes and hypertension. 95.5% did not report smoking and 89.4% were not on mechanical ventilation. The most frequent symptoms were dyspnea, non-productive cough and chest pain. 69.7% of patients had a fatal outcome. Pulmonary tomography showed that 43. 9% presented moderate grade pneumomediastinum and with respect to pulmonary involvement 97% presented a typical bilateral pattern, the peak and progressive stage presented in 56.1% and 31.8% respectively and the most frequent percentage of pulmonary involvement was severe (53%). A percentage of lung involvement higher than 50% correlated directly with the severity of the pneumomediastinum (p<0.05). The average ferritin was 884.58 ug/ml, D-dimer 5.1 mg/ml, DHL 595. 55 IU/L, PCR 150.7 mg/L, lymphocytes 825.1 c/mm3, lactic acid 1.99 mmol/L, PCT 0.78 ng/ml, IL6 313 pg/ml and PaFiO2 171.5 mmHg. Conclusion. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a frequent complication in patients with COVID-19, being an indicator of poor evolution.
ABSTRACT
Mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 is high compared to that caused by other respiratory viruses. This article aims to define the comorbidities associated with high mortality rates or complications that require ventilatory support in intensive care units. A bibliographic search has been performed with respect to comorbidities and/or alterations in laboratory tests and radiographic exams that have been associated with mortality, especially those described in China.