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.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Coronavirus Infections/therapy , Pneumonia, Viral/therapy , Adult , Aged , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Betacoronavirus/immunology , Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification , Biomarkers , Body Temperature , C-Reactive Protein/analysis , COVID-19 , Combined Modality Therapy , Convalescence , Coronavirus Infections/blood , Coronavirus Infections/diagnostic imaging , Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy , Female , Ferritins/blood , Humans , Immunization, Passive , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Pilot Projects , Plasma , Pneumonia, Viral/blood , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging , Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy , Prospective Studies , Respiration, Artificial , SARS-CoV-2 , Severity of Illness Index , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , COVID-19 SerotherapyABSTRACT
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.