Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 15, 2025

An Educational Video Demonstration of How to Prone a Critically Ill Intubated Patient
07:16

An Educational Video Demonstration of How to Prone a Critically Ill Intubated Patient

Published on: November 30, 2022

3.7K

A Rare Evolution to Pneumopericardium in Patient with COVID-19 Pneumonia Treated with High Flow Nasal Cannula

Giorgio Emanuele Polistina1, Maurizia Lanza1, Camilla Di Somma1

  • 1Sub-Intensive Care Unit and Respiratory Physiopathology Department, Cotugno-Monaldi Hospital, 80121 Naples, Italy.

Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
|October 23, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study reports a rare case of spontaneous pneumopericardium in a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia. This unusual finding highlights the diverse and rare thoracic complications associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Imaging
  • Pulmonology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global pandemic.
  • High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest is crucial for diagnosing and managing COVID-19 and its complications.
  • While pneumomediastinum is rare in COVID-19, other uncommon complications like pneumothorax, bronchiectasis, and cysts have been documented.

Observation:

  • This report details an unusual case of spontaneous pneumopericardium in a COVID-19 pneumonia patient.
  • The patient was treated solely with a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC).

Findings:

  • Pneumopericardium, the presence of air in the pericardial sac, is an exceptionally rare finding in COVID-19 patients.
  • This case adds to the spectrum of rare thoracic complications observed in COVID-19, beyond more commonly reported findings.

Implications:

  • Recognizing rare complications like pneumopericardium is vital for accurate diagnosis and patient management in COVID-19.
  • Further investigation into the mechanisms behind these rare thoracic manifestations in COVID-19 may be warranted.
  • This case underscores the importance of comprehensive interpretation of chest imaging in patients with severe COVID-19.

Keywords:
Covid-19HFNCcoronaviruspneumoniapneumopericardium

More Related Videos

Method of Isolated Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion in a Rat Model: Lessons Learned from Developing a Rat EVLP Program08:59

Method of Isolated Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion in a Rat Model: Lessons Learned from Developing a Rat EVLP Program

Published on: February 25, 2015

27.8K
A Novel Rescue Technique for Difficult Intubation and Difficult Ventilation04:46

A Novel Rescue Technique for Difficult Intubation and Difficult Ventilation

Published on: January 17, 2011

21.7K

Related Concept Videos

Pneumonia IV: Management01:28

Pneumonia IV: Management

The treatment of pneumonia varies based on its severity and the causative pathogen. Here is a structured approach to managing pneumonia, integrating pharmaceutical and supportive care strategies.
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
499
Acute Respiratory Failure-III01:30

Acute Respiratory Failure-III

Hypercapnic respiratory failure, also known as Type 2 or ventilatory respiratory failure, is a severe condition characterized by the body's inability to effectively remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the bloodstream. It leads to an arterial CO2 pressure (PaCO2) exceeding 45 mmHg and a blood pH above 7.35. This situation indicates that the body's ventilatory demand, or the ventilation needed to maintain normal PaCO2 levels, surpasses its supply or the maximum gas flow achievable without...
385
Acute Respiratory Failure-II01:21

Acute Respiratory Failure-II

Type I Respiratory Failure, or hypoxemic respiratory failure, occurs when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in arterial blood falls below 60 mmHg while breathing room air without a corresponding increase in arterial carbon dioxide levels (PaCO2). This condition highlights a significant impairment in the lungs' capacity to oxygenate the blood.
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
434
Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment01:30

Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment

Pneumonia poses the potential for numerous complications that warrant consideration. These complications include the following:
523
Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology01:29

Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of pneumonia involves the following steps:
960
Pneumothorax-I01:26

Pneumothorax-I

A pneumothorax is a condition where air builds up in the space between the lung and the chest wall, causing the lung to collapse. This condition arises when air enters the space between the parietal and visceral pleura, disrupting the negative pressure essential for lung inflation. This can lead to a partial or complete collapse of the lung.
Pneumothorax can be even further classified as spontaneous, traumatic, and tension pneumothorax.
597