ISSN : 1301-5680
e-ISSN : 2149-8156
Turkish Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery     
The prognostic effect of concomitant COVID-19 with spontaneous pneumothorax
Mustafa Akyil1, Serkan Bayram1, Pelin Erdizci1, Fatma Tokgoz Akyil2, Ayse Ulusoy1, Serdar Evman1, Levent Alpay1, Volkan Baysungur1
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Health Sciences, Süreyyapaşa Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
2Department of Pulmonology, University of Health Sciences, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2023.23439
Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients hospitalized with primary spontaneous pneumothorax and to evaluate its possible effects on the clinical course, treatment, and the prognosis.

Methods: Between April 2020 and January 2021, a total of 86 patients (78 males, 8 females; mean age: 27±5 years; range, 16 to 40 years) who had no underlying lung disease and were diagnosed with the first episode of spontaneous pneumothorax were retrospectively analyzed. At the same time of diagnosis, all patients were screened for COVID-19 via polymerase chain reaction test of nasopharyngeal swabs. According to the test results, the patients were divided into two groups as COVID-19(+) and COVID-19(?). The duration of air leak, hospital stay, recurrence rates and treatment modalities, and mortality rates of the two groups were compared.

Results: Following a pneumothorax diagnosis, 18 (21%) patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. In COVID-19(+) patients, the mean air leak and lung expansion duration were significantly longer (p<0.0001 for both). In these patients, the mean length of hospital stay was also significantly longer (p<0.0001). During the median follow-up of six months, no mortality was observed and the recurrence rate was similar between the two groups (p=0.998).

Conclusion: Our study results suggest that COVID-19 negatively affects the recovery time in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.

Keywords : COVID-19, polymerase chain reaction, spontaneous pneumothorax
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