Risk Factors, Characteristics, and Outcome in Non-Ventilated Patients with Spontaneous Pneumothorax or Pneumomediastinum Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) and spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) have frequently been cited as complications associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia, with especially poor prognosis in mechanically ventilated patients. The current literature is controversial regarding the potential risk factors for developing SP or SPM (SP-SPM) in non-ventilated COVID-19 patients. Our research addressed a twofold objective: (a) to investigate the characteristics of patients with SP-SPM (both with and without COVID-19) and compare them to patients with sole COVID-19; (b) to quantify the risk of in-hospital mortality associated with SP-SPM and COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective case–control study was conducted in the emergency departments (ED) of two tertiary hospitals in Timisoara, Romania, over one year (1st April 2020‒31st March 2021; 64,845 records in total) and 70 cases of SP-SPM were identified (both SARS-CoV-2 positives and negatives). The control group comprised COVID-19 patients with no SP-SPM, included at a 2:1 ratio. Logistic regression was employed to quantify the in-hospital mortality risk associated with age, SP-SPM, and COVID-19. RESULTS: SP-SPM and COVID-19 were connected with prolonged hospitalization, a higher percentage of intensive care admission, and a higher mortality. SP-SPM increased the odds of death by almost four times in patients of the same age, gender, smoking status, and SARS-CoV-2 infection: OR = 3.758, 95% CI (1.443–9.792). Each additional year of age added 9.4% to the mortality risk: OR = 1.094, 95% CI (1.054–1.135). CONCLUSION: ED physicians should acknowledge these potential risks when attending COVID-19 patients with SP-SPM.