Neumomediastino espontáneo, una complicación potencialmente mortal en neumonía por SARS-CoV-2: serie de cinco casos.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an unusual pulmonary complication of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. It is mostly described as a benign finding with spontaneous resolution. Some authors mention that cases with adverse outcomes (increased mortality) have been reported. Clinical experience shows a similar trend; therefore, the scientific evidence is equivocal; hence the need to document what happened in the pandemic. CLINICAL CASES: Five clinical cases of hospitalized patients aged 39 and 76 years with the following risk factors are described: smoking, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and obesity. Diagnosis was made by chest computed tomography and physical examination. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a complication associated with increased severity and mortality in COVID-19. A systematic review with a higher level of evidence is needed to update clinical care guidelines and reduce morbidity and mortality in COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]