Surgical treatment of broncho­­pulmonary purulent­inflammatory complications due to permanent coronaviral ihfection — the first experience
Authors: Opanasenko M.S. , Konik B.M. , Bilokon S.M. , Tereshkovich O.V. , Shalagay S.M. , Levanda L.I. , Kalenichenko M.I. , Bichkovsky V.B. , Lysenko V.I. , Shamray M.Yu. 
Published: October 2021

Objective — to acquaint doctors of different profiles with thoracic pathology in patients with coronavirus infection.

Materials and methods. Since the beginning of the SARSCoV-2 pandemic, on the basis of the clinical department for the surgical treatment of tuberculosis and NZL complicated by purulent septic infections 70 patients were treated, of which 39 (55.7 %) had various broncho-pulmonary purulent-inflammatory complications of coronavirus infection.

Results and discussion. The distribution of treated patients with bronchopulmonary purulent-inflammatory complications of coronavirus infection by nosology is presented in Table 1. According to the table presented, pleural empyema was a frequent bacterial complication of the respiratory system — 18 (46.1 %) cases; only 6 (33.3 %) patients were diagnosed with broncho-pleural communication, while in 12 (66.7 %) patients, already at the stage of hospitalization, a functioning broncho-pleural fistula was observed.17 (94.4 %) patients with empyema underwent videothoracoscopic (VATS) debridement of the pleural cavity with polydrainage and the use of prolonged active aspiration in the postoperative period. The management of such patients was no different, except for 2 points: the need to continue GCS therapy and the obligatory long-term prescription of anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs.In 1 (5.6 %) case, due to the extremely serious condition of the patient, only drainage of both pleural cavities was performed (this case was fatal). In another case, after 2 VATS of the pleural cavity, bronchial blocking of the upper lobe and intermediate bronchi of the right lung was performed, followed by active aspiration. Nonspecific exudative pleurisy was diagnosed in 8 (20.5 %) patients after coronavirus infection. There were 13 patients with abscess pneumonia and abscesses (33.3 %). This group of patients underwent drug therapy for a long time, which consisted in the appointment of broad-spectrum antibiotics, anticoagulants, pathogenetic therapy and symptomatic treatment.After a course of conservative treatment, 9 (69.2 %) patients underwent the following surgical interventions — sublobar resection for a sanitized lung abscess in 4 (44.5 %) cases, lobectomy in the presence of sanitized residual large cavities in 3 (33.3 %) patients, partial pleurectomy with decortication of the lung and sublobar resection of the lower lobe of the left lung in 2 (22.2 %) patients.Conservative therapy was successful only in 4 (30.7 %) patients. All 13 patients with abscess pneumonia and abscesses were discharged from the institute with full recovery or improvement (small sanitized destruction cavities up to 2 cm in diameter remained in the lung parenchyma). There were no lethal outcomes.The overall effectiveness of the treatment of this contingent of patients was 97.4 %, and the general mortality rate — 2.6 %.Videothoscopic treatment was effective in 25 (64.1 %) patients with pleural empyema and nonspecific pleurisy, and in 4 (16 %) patients it allowed to stabilize the condition and carry out resection surgery.

Conclusions. Purulent-destructive complications of the respiratory system in coronavirus infection have a causal component, and therefore timely exposure to all parts of the pathogenesis can significantly reduce their level. Preference should be given to videothoracoscopic intervention in the complicated course of coronavirus infection. The high level of diagnosis (25.4 %) of concomitant pathology of the chest with the widespread use of radiological methods in the pandemic of coronavirus infection may indicate a low level of preventive medicine in the state.