Table 1.
Summary of Studies Reporting Adverse Events Associated With COVID-19 Nasopharyngeal Swab Testing in the Literature.
| Authors, country | Study type, no. of Complication(s) | Type of complication(s) | Management | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffuri et al,16 Italy | Case Report, 1 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection | Removal under general anesthesia | Full recovery |
| Stevens et al,17 United States | Case Report, 1 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection | None. Suspected ingestion | Full recovery |
| Fabbris et al,9 Italy | Single-center Retrospective Review, 8 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection (3); nasal septum abscess (1); epistaxis (4) | Removal under endoscopic view (2) or swallowed (1) for fractured swab, Incision and drainage for abscess, Nasal packing under local anesthesia for epistaxis | Full recoveries |
| Föh et al,10 Germany | Single-center Retrospective Review, 2 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection (2); | Nonsurgical removal (1); None, suspected ingestion (1) | Full recovery |
| De Luca and Maltoni,12 Italy | Case Report, 1 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection | Upper GI endoscopy/removal | Full recovery |
| Mughal et al,19 United Kingdom | Case Report, 1 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection | Nonsurgical removal | Unspecified |
| Azar et al,19 United States | Case Report, 1 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection | Nonsurgical removal | Unspecified |
| Wyman et al,21 United States | Case Report, 1 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection | Nonsurgical removal | Full recovery |
| Suresh11, India | Case Report, 1 | Fractured nasopharyngeal swab during collection | Removal under general anesthesia | Full recovery |
| Gupta et al,18 United States | Single-center Retrospective Review, 41 | Epistaxis (12); nasal discomfort (10); headache (7); ear discomfort (6); rhinorrhea (6) | Unspecified | Unspecified |
| Paquin et al,4 United States | Case Report, 1 | Cerebrospinal fluid leak | Endoscopic surgical repair | Full recovery |
| Sullivan et al,5 United States | Case Report, 1 | Cerebrospinal fluid leak | Endoscopic surgical repair | Unspecified |
| Mistry et al,6 Australia | Case Report, 1 | Cerebrospinal fluid leak previously treated for meningitis | Endoscopic surgical repair | Unspecified |
| Rajah and Lee,7 Australia | Case Report, 1 | Cerebrospinal fluid leak | Endoscopic surgical repair | Full recovery |
| Alberola-Amores et al,8 Spain | Case Report, 1 | Cerebrospinal fluid leak with meningitis | Empirical treatment with cefotaxime, vancomycin, dexamethasone ×14 days | Full recovery |