Subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum in COVID -19 patients: ICU course of four cases and review of literature

Objective: since april 2021, there has been significant increase in number of covid-19 cases in india. as the caseload increased, so did the complications like pneumomediastinum (pm) and subcutaneous emphysema (se).case presentation: we present clinical course of 4 patients as case series of covid-19 pneumonia who developed pm and se during their management. two cases with the need of non-invasive ventilation (niv) recovered and two cases that needed invasive mechanical ventilation (imv) ultimately expired.conclusion: this case series highlights the importance of positive pressure ventilation via niv and imv as a predisposing factor for pm and se as well as the need of strict vigilance by clinicians managing covid-19 patients in imv.