Tracheoesophageal fistulas in coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A case report

Tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEFs) can be described as a pathological communication between the trachea and the esophagus. According to their origin, they may be classified as benign or malignant. Benign TEFs occur mostly as a consequence of prolonged mechanical ventilation, particularly among patients exposed to endotracheal cuff overinflation. During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus pandemic, the amount of patients requiring prolonged ventilation rose, which in turn increased the incidence of TEFs.

We report the cases of 14 patients with different comorbidities such as being overweight, or having been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or systemic hypertension. The most common symptoms on arrival were dyspnea and cough. In all cases, the diagnosis of TEFs was made through upper endoscopy. Depending on the location and size of each fistula, either endoscopic or surgical treatment was provided. Eight patients were treated endoscopically. Successful closure of the defect was achieved through over the scope clips in two patients, while three of them required endoscopic metal stenting. A hemoclip was used to successfully treat one patient, and it was used temporarily for another patient pended surgery. Surgical treatment was performed in patients with failed endoscopic management, leading to successful defect correction. Two patients died before receiving corrective treatment and four died later on in their clinical course due to infectious complications.

The incidence of TEFs increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (from 0.5% to 1.5%). We believe that endoscopic treatment should be considered as an option for this group of patients, since evidence reported in the literature is still a growing area. Therefore, we propose an algorithm to lead intervention in patients presenting with TEFs due to prolonged intubation.