Use of Convalescent Plasma Therapy among Hospitalized Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Patients: A Single-Center Experience

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 Disease has strained our healthcare system. Convalescent plasma has been used to treat emerging infectious diseases - Influenza A/B, SARS-CoV, Ebola virus and now SARS-CoV 2. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the outcome and clinical course of COVID-19 patients who received convalescent plasma transfusion at Cardinal Santos Medical Center. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort analytical study of 75 patients who received convalescent plasma. RESULTS: Median time from admission to CP transfusion was 3 days. Majority of patients received additional therapies including dexamethasone (100%); Remdesivir (95%); antibiotics (100%), tocilizumab (65%); hemoperfusion (88%) or combination of these. Among the survivors, the median LOS was 15 days while non-survivors have a median LOS of 6 days. One patient (1.33%) had mild transfusion reaction. Four patients (5.33%) developed DVT despite anti-coagulation. There was improvement in the inflammatory markers (LDH pvalue 0.04, CRP pvalue 0.00, Ferritin pvalue 0.0001). There was improvement in the pulmonary parameters - increase in mean PaO2, mean SaO2, and mean PFR; and decrease in mean FiO2 and mean RR post-treatment. Median LOS is 14 days for the CP group vs 11 days for the non-CP group. Mortality rate among the CP group is 25.33% while the non-CP group was 26.67%. LOS and mortality rate did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in mortality and length of hospital stay in patients given CP vs controls. CP might have a role in the improvement of inflammatory markers and pulmonary status.