ABSTRACT
While promising, convalescent plasma remains experimental and is not proven effective for COVID-19. In addition, many questions remain regarding the accuracy and predictive value of antibody testing of donors and patients, optimal donor selection, optimal timing, and selection of patients most likely to benefit. Until these questions are answered, convalescent plasma should ideally be used in the context of well-designed clinical trials.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods , Coronavirus Infections , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , Time-to-Treatment , Betacoronavirus/immunology , Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Testing , Clinical Trials as Topic , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/genetics , Coronavirus Infections/immunology , Coronavirus Infections/therapy , Donor Selection , Humans , Immunization, Passive/adverse effects , Immunization, Passive/methods , Patient Selection , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Viral/genetics , Pneumonia, Viral/immunology , Pneumonia, Viral/therapy , Predictive Value of Tests , Reproducibility of Results , Risk Assessment , SARS-CoV-2 , Treatment Outcome , COVID-19 SerotherapyABSTRACT
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has required healthcare systems to implement strategies for effective healthcare delivery while managing blood supply chain disruptions and shortages created by infection-limiting practices that have reduced blood donations. At Cleveland Clinic, we have made multiple synchronous efforts: a call for increased blood collection, alignment of efforts among transfusion medicine departments (blood banks), enhanced monitoring and triage of blood product use, and increased education on patient blood management practices regarding blood utilization and anemia management. In addition, we created an algorithm to assess anemia risks in patients whose elective surgery was cancelled to optimize preoperative hemoglobin levels.