Summary

The high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is an alternative in oxygen therapy for patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure, especially in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. There are many benefits, with different levels of evidence, and very few reported adverse effects from its use in adults. We present the case of a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who, with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2, developed a pneumothorax while receiving HFNA therapy. This complication associated with HFNA therapy is rarely reported in the literature, which is the reason for this report.