Pneumothorax as a Poor Prognostic Indicator in COVID-19 in Turkey: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care

Background:

• Spontaneous pneumothorax is an infrequent but serious complication in COVID-19 patients, particularly those requiring mechanical ventilation (MV).
• Pneumothorax contributes to a small but significant proportion of COVID-19 related deaths.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with the development of pneumothorax in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• To evaluate the impact of pneumothorax on early survival rates among COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 4799 COVID-19 patients.
• Propensity score matching (PSM) created comparable groups for analysis.
• Multiple logistic regression identified factors associated with pneumothorax.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of pneumothorax was 1.6% in the study cohort.
• Factors significantly associated with pneumothorax included prolonged symptom duration, mechanical ventilation, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and dual antibiotic use.
• Pneumothorax was associated with significantly lower survival rates (32.8% vs. 59.7%).

Conclusions:

• Pneumothorax is a significant predictor of poor survival in COVID-19 patients.
• Patients with extended symptom duration and those requiring mechanical ventilation are at higher risk for pneumothorax.