Pleural empyema as a complication of COVID 19 pneumonia in a patient with destroyed lung syndrome
Abstract
Introduction. Destroyed lung syndrome is a severe
destruction of the pleural parenchyma due to lung infection,
mostly caused by tuberculosis. Besides tuberculosis, necrotizing
pneumonia may also lead to this disease complication.
Pleural empyema is a frequent consequence of the destroyed
lung syndrome. Pleural empyema may occur during the COVID-
19 infection and is negatively correlated with a favorable
disease outcome.
Case report. A male 50 y/o showed up during the oncall
shift during the winter COVID-19 wave with a medical
report from the Internal medicine clinic. His personal history
is significant for his pneumonectomy in 2016. In the past two
months, he had been treated for pneumonia and COVID-19
infection with antibiotics and corticosteroid therapy. Due to
prolonged malaise and tachycardia his GP referred him to yet
another chest X-ray and lab work. The chest X-ray showed
pleural effusion, so he was promptly referred to an on-call
hospital. The on-call physician, after looking into the hospital
reports, consulted an internal medicine doctor and it was
decided to refer the patient to a thoracic surgeon. He was
hospitalized for pleural empyema and treated with thoracic
drainage using the system of active aspiration. A year later, he
feels well, and he regained his appetite, and body mass, with
occasional leaking from the thoracic fistule.
Conclusion. This case report shows a recurrence of
pleural empyema in a patient with pneumonectomy due to
necrotizing pneumonia and destroyed lung syndrome, complicated
by COVID-19 infection. We aimed to draw the atention
of GPs to diseases and disease complications that are
rarely met in GP practice and are not otherwise treated on the
primary healthcare level.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Marija Glavinic Mijic, Slobodanka Popović, Anamaria Simić Milovanović
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