Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410142
Rare Endobronchial Polyps due to SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Raghavendra Sanivarapu, MD, James Kang, MD, Javed Iqbal, MD and Fatima Anjum, MD
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: September 24, 2020
Since its discovery in December 2019, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to more than 70 countries around the world. The United States alone has seen more than 1.5 million cases, with more than 100,000 deaths to date. The most common presenting symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath with median incubation periods of 5 days. Severe symptoms can develop as a result of the aggressive inflammatory response. The role of bronchoscopy has been limited in severe cases and resu...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410141
Recurrent Spontaneous Pneumothorax Secondary to Marijuana- Induced Extensive Bullous Emphysema
Samar Aboulenain, MD, Nakeya Dewaswala, MD, Huzefa Bhopalwala MD and Shaun Isaac, MD
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: September 24, 2020
Marijuana is the world’s most commonly used illicit drug. Its use is estimated to be around 2% to 5% of the worldwide population and the most commonly used route of use is inhalation. Although not completely elucidated, marijuana has been linked with lung damage and bullous formation. We report a case of a young man with a significant history of marijuana smoking who presented with a recurrent large spontaneous pneumothorax refractory to non-surgical management....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410140
COVID-19 and Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum: A Case Series
Alex Diaz, DO, Dolly Patel, DO, Najia Sayedy, MD, Javed Iqbal, MD and Fatima Anjum, MD
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: September 05, 2020
COVID-19 is a relatively new and rapidly emerging disease. Given current knowledge of the disease process, it is of the utmost importance to gain further insight into its different clinical manifestations. In this report we describe three cases involving Hispanic males with COVID-19 all of whom developed pneumomediastinum during their hospital course. We want to emphasize the importance of this adverse event despite their non-smoking history and the exclusion of positive pressure ventilation. We...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410139
Protective Bronchoscopy Tent for the Pandemic Proceduralist
Tom Recker, RRT and Thomas J Gross, MD
Article Type: Short Report | First Published: August 13, 2020
During the evolving SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, occupational exposure and infection for first responders and health care workers remains a major concern across the globe. Regional shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly high-level particulate filter masks such as N95, has led to creative interventions to reduce airborne viral exposure while caring for infected patients. Procedures that result in patient-generated aerosols such as nebulizer medication treatments, intubation, bronc...
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410138
Valproic Acid in Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19
Shweta Singh and Krishna K Singh
Article Type: Research Article | First Published: August 07, 2020
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a serious threat to the global public health. Respiratory failure, followed by cardiovascular complications with wide-spread endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, is rapidly emerging as a key threat in COVID-19. ACE-2 receptors are the cell-entry gate for SARS-CoV-2. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate Valproic Acid (VPA) as a potential drug to treat COVID-19 and look into its mechanism of action....
Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3516/1410137
A 53-Year-Old Woman with a Rapidly Progressive Lung Mass
Richard H Zou, MD and Christopher N Faber, MD
Article Type: Case Report | First Published: July 17, 2020
A 53-year-old Caucasian nurse with a history of emphysema presented with 6 months of recurrent fever, generalized fatigue, exertional dyspnea, and non-productive cough. She reported a 15 pack-year smoking history but quit 3 months prior to evaluation. She previously worked with patients with chronic tracheostomies in a long-term acute care facility. She denied hemoptysis, sputum production, chest pain, pleurisy, abdominal pain, or unintentional weight loss. She reported no recent travel, inhalat...
