Barotrauma Linked to Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection in Younger Patients: A Case Series

Patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on invasive mechanical ventilation were found to have high rates of barotrauma. Herein, we present five patients admitted to the intensive care unit between March and April 2020, who developed barotrauma as a complication of COVID-19 pneumonia. This series includes four males and one female with a mean age of 54 years, most without significant chronic comorbidities or former tobacco use. All were intubated for hypoxic respiratory failure due to the COVID-19 infection. The diagnosis of barotrauma was confirmed via radiography showing the presence of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, or subcutaneous emphysema on radiographic imaging. At the time, they were evaluated for convalescent plasma infusion, remdesivir, and interleukin-6 inhibitor. Each of the five patient's hospital courses were documented. The average number of days between intubation and subsequent barotrauma was 6.8 days with the mean length of hospital stay being 49 days. Three of the five patients passed away due to complications related to COVID-19. Due to the unknown nature of the virus, our findings add to the growing evidence that those infected, even without significant comorbidities, are at high risk for pulmonary complications and in-hospital mortality.