As many as 1 in 100 hospitalized COVID-19 patients may experience a punctured lung according to a multicenter study published by European Respiratory Journal.’ Punctured lung ” is another common complication of severe covid infection apart from most talked post covid fibrosis. Though punctured lung condition is common in patients on ventilators, it seemed to be there even among those who were not put on ventilator.COVID causes damage to the lungs can lead to a puncture. As air leaks out, it builds up in the space between the lung and chest, causing lung collapse.
Introduction
Mr.RS was diagnosed to have a severe covid infection in the month of march requiring ICU admission and was requiring very high oxygen and non-invasive ventilatory support during the course in the hospital elsewhere, he developed sudden lung leakage/punctured lung requiring insertion of a chest tube to drain the air resulting from leakage.
Diagnosis
Normally leakage seals on its own in about a week’s time making doctors remove the chest tubes but in his unfortunate case, the leakage was not stopped resulting in a trapped lung. When thoroughly examined here at Manipal, we decided to do a combined Throacoscopic and Bronchoscopic technique of sealing the lung leakage with a non-operative procedural approach and we could successfully seal the puncture and remove the chest tube at the same time”.
Conclusion
Dr.Prabhu Prasad N.C, Interventional Pulmonologist and his team consisting of Dr.Rakesh Deshmane, Dr.Divya Mahaldar, and Bronchoscopy technicians Mr.Karthick, Govind, and Sarvesh were part of this challenging procedure where they successfully sealed the punctured lung relieving him of the chest tube which was attached since six months to manage the air leakage.
