Pulmonary Barotrauma in COVID-19 Patients Under Non-invasive Ventilation Support: Case Series |Biomedgrid

Purpose: Pulmonary barotrauma (PBT) is a complication typically seen in intubated patients but is a rare event in those using non-invasive ventilation (NIV) support. In this case report, we identified five patients with COVID-19 who developed PBT on NIV support in a hospital of southern Brazil from March to April 2021. Results: All the patients were non-smokers with no pre-existing lung disease. They required oxygen therapy which included escalation from nasal cannula to NIV. PBT was diagnosed later in the course of the disease (17.6 ± 4.3 days) and after a mean time of 6 days on NIV support.