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In this case report, we describe a five-year-old, mixed-breed, neutered male cat weighing 5.7 kg, that was referred to the Near East University Animal Hospital with complaints of dyspnoea, cough and lack of appetite over the preceding two days. Clinical examination revealed marked wheezing during expiration, severe shortness of breath and associated cyanosis. A blood sample was drawn for full blood count, serum biochemical and blood gas analyses. Laterolateral and ventrodorsal radiographic images of the thorax and abdominal region were obtained. A radiopaque foreign body measuring 3 × 9 × 13 mm was detected at the carina of the trachea, aligned in the midst of the fifth–sixth intercostal space. Considering that this foreign body obstructed the tracheal lumen almost completely and had been creating pressure on the tracheal wall for at least two days and also with the aim of preventing potential complications (tracheal rupture, laceration, etc.), after repeated unsuccessful interventions to minimise the time spent under anaesthesia, the object was removed by intercostal thoracotomy. The subject was discharged on the sixth postoperative day and regained its normal state within a short time.

Background A pneumothorax is common in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) when non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation is performed to maintain adequate oxygenation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of elevated inflammatory markers and an elevated systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) on mortality in this patient population. Materials and methods Between March 2020 and May 2021, 124 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reacion positviity who were admitted to the ICU in our hospital and diagnosed with and treated for a pneumothorax were evaluated retrospectively. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein, neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet and white blood cell levels were measured. These parameters were used to calculate the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and SII, and the association of these parameters with pneumothorax-related mortality was examined. Results This study included 39 female (31.5%) and 85 male (68.5%) patients. The mean age was 65.3 ± 12.6 years. Non-invasive mechanical ventilation was performed in 13 (10.5%) patients, and 111 (89.5%) patients received invasive mechanical ventilation. Tube thoracostomy was performed in 113 patients (91.1%), and 11 patients (8.9%) were treated with oxygen therapy. The factors affecting mortality in the pneumothorax patients were the Charlson Comorbidity Index (four or higher), IL-6 level and NLR. The IL-6 level was 53.4 in those who died versus 24.6 in those who survived ( p = 0.017). The NLR in the patients who died was 16.9 as compared to 12.5 in those who survived ( p = 0.011). Conclusion Elevated markers of infection were associated with an increased risk of mortality in pneumothorax patients with COVID-19 who received invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation in the ICU. In this patient population, high levels of positive end-expiratory pressure should be avoided, and inflammatory marker levels and the SII should be closely monitored.

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Traumatic sternal fractures are rare injuries. The most common etiologic cause is a blunt injury to the anterior chest wall. When an individual is exposed to serious trauma, the first goal of treatment is to preserve the patient’s life and avoid multiple organ failures and other complications through rapid and effective intervention. The aim of this study was to statistically analyze the trauma scores and sternal fracture localizations that were calculated following the analysis of the data of the patients who were admitted to the emergency department after blunting thoracic trauma. It is planned to compare the obtained data with the literature. The trauma scores of the patients were determined through the implementation of the anatomical scoring systems, the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), and the Injury Severity Score (ISS), which are calculated by squaring the AIS scores of the three most severely injured body systems. Out of our 96 patients, 65 were male and 31 were female. In the statistical analysis performed between the sternal fracture localization that occurred after trauma and the ISS, the highest scores were found in mixed type fractures, with a mean value of 36.77±9.62 (p=0.001). Statistical analyses of the relationship between ISS interval values, sternal fracture localization and the number of rib fractures accompanying the sternal fracture were found to be significant (p=0.035, p<0.001). It is thought that determining the probability of mortality by calculating the trauma score (especially ISS) in patients with sternal fractures as a result of high-energy traumas will contribute significantly to the literature.