OBJECTIVES Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, a novel coronavirus, affects mainly the pulmonary parenchyma and produces significant morbidity and mortality. During the pandemic, several complications have been shown to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our goal was to present a series of patients with COVID-19 who underwent chest tube placements due to the development of pleural complications and to make suggestions for the insertion and follow-up management of the chest tube. METHODS We retrospectively collected and analysed data on patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in our hospital between 11 March and 15 May 2020. Patients from this patient group who developed pleural complications requiring chest tube insertion were included in the study. RESULTS A total of 542 patients who were suspected of having COVID-19 were hospitalized. The presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was confirmed with laboratory tests in 342 patients between 11 March and 15 May 2020 in our centre. A chest tube was used in 13 (3.8%) of these patients. A high-efficiency particulate air filter mounted double-bottle technique was used to prevent viral transmission. CONCLUSIONS In patients with COVID-19, the chest tube can be applied in cases with disease or treatment-related pleural complications. Our case series comprised a small group of patients, which is one of its limitations. Still, our main goal was to present our experience with patients with pleural complications and describe a new drainage technique to prevent viral transmission during chest tube application and follow-up.

The incidence of adenocarcinoma was higher in the young patients, whose prognosis was slightly better than that of the elderly patients. Coexisting diseases and postoperative complications were the major factors that adversely affected the prognosis of the elderly patients.

There was no significant difference in survival between T3 and T4 patients. Among surgically treated patients due to NSCLC, poor prognostic factors were advanced age for the patients with PM, nodule size and AC for T3 patients, and the number of nodules for T4 patients.

Advanced age, not receiving adjuvant therapy and having pN1N2 disease are negative prognostic factors in patients with nodal involvement who underwent curative resection due to NSCLC. The overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of pN1 disease and single-station pN0N2 disease are similar, and they have significantly better survival rates than pN1N2 disease. Based on these results, surgical treatment may be considered an appropriate choice in patients with histopathologically diagnosed single-station skip-N2 disease.