Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) Lobar Pneumonia Following Bronchoscopic Lung-Volume Reduction (BLVR): A Case Report and Review of Literature

With the advent of bronchoscopic lung-volume reduction (BLVR), this minimally invasive technique represents a new and effective way of managing the debilitating symptoms associated with severe centrilobular emphysema. Despite its vast potential in the management of this disease, there are still several potential risk factors associated with the procedure that may predispose the patient to increased morbidity. Our patient received four endobronchial valves in the right-upper lobe (RUL) and right-middle lobe (RML). Although her immediate post-procedure course was uncomplicated, she returned shortly after discharge with a right-sided pneumothorax and right-lower lobar pneumonia with sputum culture growing methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). She was managed with tube thoracostomy and two weeks of cefazolin with clinical improvement. Despite the abundance of literature detailing the risk of pneumonia following BLVR, very little data exists discussing common causative organisms, choice of treatment, duration of treatment, and potential risk factors that may predispose these patients to infection.