Infusion of convalescent plasma is associated with clinical improvement in critically ill patients with Covid-19: a pilot study

ABSTRACT Background: The ideal treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 has yet to be defined, but convalescent plasma (CoPla) has been successfully employed. Objective: The objective of the study was to study the safety and outcomes of the administration of CoPla to individuals with severe COVID-19 in an academic medical center. Methods: Ten patients were prospectively treated with plasma from COVID-19 convalescent donors. Results: Over 8 days, the sequential organ failure assessment score dropped significantly in all patients, from 3 to 1.5 (p = 0.014); the Kirby index (PaO2/FiO2) score increased from 124 to 255, (p < 0.0001), body temperature decreased significantly from 38.1 to 36.9°C (p = 0.0058), and ferritin levels also dropped significantly from 1736.6 to 1061.8 ng/ml (p = 0.0001). Chest X-rays improved in 7/10 cases and in 6/10, computerized tomography scans also revealed improvement of the lung injury. Decreases in C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels were also observed. Three of five patients on mechanical ventilation support could be extubated, nine were transferred to conventional hospital floors, and six were sent home; two patients died. The administration of CoPla had no side effects and the 24-day overall survival was 77%. Conclusions: Although other treatments were also administered to the patients and as a result data are difficult to interpret, it seems that the addition of CoPla improved pulmonary function.

Non-Cryopreserved unmanipulated hematopoietic peripheral blood stem cell autotransplant program: long term results

Background. Methods to simplify bone marrow transplantation procedures are needed mainly in developing countries. Methods. Between May 1993 and Fenruary 1999 in a private-practice setting, we performed 29 autotransplants in 28 patients using non-cryopreserved and unmanipulated peripheral blood stem cells mobilized from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood by means of hematopoietic growht factors. The autografting procedure was performed entirely on an autpatient basis in 19 cases (65 percent). THe median age of the patients was 30 years, with a range of-967. There were 15 patients with acute leukemia (9 with acute myelogenous leukemia), 3 with chronic myelogenous leukemia, 2 with multiple myeloma, 3 with Hodgkin's disease, 2 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 4 with metastatic breast carcinoma. Results. The median time to achieve >0.5 X 10 a to nine/L granulocytes was 14 days /range 7-42), whereas the median time to achieve >20 X 10 a to nine/L platelets was 20 days (range 5-49). The 64-month post-transplant survival was 38 percent, whereas the median post-transplant survival was 18 months. The transplant-related mortality was 3.4 percent. The approximate cost of this simplified procedure was 10.8 percent for in-hospital procedures and for outpatient autografts, substantially lower than figures reported from the U.S. for autotransplants. Conclusions. This simplified method for autografiting patients, avoiding in-hospital stays, purging procedures and cryopreservation of the cells is feasible and results in a substantial decrease of the cost of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation methods

Un caso de hemartoma de glándulas de Brunner como causa de hemorragia de tubo digestivo / Case report of Brunner's gland hamartoma as a cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Mujer de 26 años con un cuadro clínico de síndrome anémico, vómito postprandial y melena intermitente de seis meses de evolución. La homoglobina de ingreso fue de 3.5 g/dL. El estudio endoscópico mostró un tumor que ocupaba el 90 por ciento de la luz duodenal. Se tomaron biopsias que se informaron como duodenitis aguda y crónica erosiva. Con diagnóstico de probable leiomioma, se efectuó laparotomía exploradora con duodenotomía y se resecó un tumor pedunculado que correspondió a un hamartoma de glándulas de Brunner. Esto ocasionó obstrucción duodenal parcial y hemorragia del tubo digestivo, los dos síntomas más comunes de este tumor raro