Thoracic Surgery Consultations in COVID-19 Critically Ill Patients: Beyond Conservative Approach

Table 1

Descriptive analysis of patients demographic data, hospital course, thoracic complications, intervention, and outcome.

General characteristics (No. = 18)
Age
Mean ± SD (range)	54.94 ± 13.07 (34–78)
Gender
Male (%)	15 (83.3%)
Female (%)	3 (16.7%)
Comorbidity
DM (%)	6 (33.3%)
HTN (%)	8 (44.4%)
DLP (%)	5 (27.8%)
CKD (%)	1 (5.6%)
Heart disease (%)	2 (11.1%)
Presenting symptoms
SOB (%)	16 (88.9%)
Cough (%)	11 (61.1%)
Fever (%)	12 (33.3%)
Asymptomatic (%)	2 (11.1%)
Hemoptysis (%)	1 (5.6%)
Loss of appetite (%)	1 (5.6%)
Hospital course
Length of unit admission (days) (mean ± SD (range))	4.55 ± 26.94 (0–21)
Length of ICU admission (days) (mean ± SD (range))	24.11 ± 14.22 (6–52)
Ventilation
Length of intubation (days) (mean ± SD (range))	21.00 ± 14.99 (3–52)
Reintubation
Yes (%)	2 (11.1%)
No (%)	16 (88.9%)
PEEP (median ±SD (range))	14 ± 2.40 (10–18)
PRVC (median ±SD (range))	70 ± 19.64 (40–100)
Thoracic complications
Onset of complication after intubation (days) (median ±SD (range))	6 ± 8.34 (1–28)
Type
Pneumothorax (%)	4 (22.2%)
Mediastinum emphysema (%)	1 (5.6%)
Subcutaneous emphysema (%)	6 (33.3%)
Pneumothorax and SE (%)	6 (33.3%)
SE and ME (%)	1 (5.6%)
Intervention
Conservative (%)	4 (22.2%)
Thoracostomy (%)	14 (77.8%)
Reinsertion of thoracostomy
Yes (%)	1 (5.6%)
No (%)	17 (94.4%)
Duration of chest tube (days) (mean ± SD (range))	6.72 ± 7.01 (0–20)
Outcome
Alive (%)	4 (22.2%)
Died (%)	12 (66.7%)
Still admitted and slightly improved (%)	2 (11.1%)

ICU: intensive care unit; DM: diabetic; HTN: hypertension; DLP: dyslipidemia; CKD: chronic kidney disease; IHD: ischemic heart disease; CAD: coronary artery disease; SOB: shortness of breath; ME: mediastinum emphysema; SE: subcutaneous emphysema.