Assessing the Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma in COVID-19-induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on November 20th, 2023
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Convalescent plasma containing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, isolated from people previously affected with COVID-19, had been proven to be an effective treatment. However, little is known about the effect of the treatment on patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. A study funded by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center was conducted to assess the effectiveness of convalescent plasma in treating COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The study included 475 patients who had been admitted to intensive care units to treat COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome. The median age of the study cohort was 64 years old, and approximately 10% of them had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. These patients had been mechanically ventilated, and their median PaO2/FiO2 ratio was approximately 120. These participants were randomly assigned to be treated with either placebo or convalescent plasma, which was isolated from donors who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 within the past 10 months. The treatment was administered intravenously within 24 hours of enrollment into the trial. The participants were monitored for 28 days, and the researchers found that the mortality rate in the convalescent plasma group was 35.4%, which was significantly lower than the 45% in those who were treated with placebo. However, the treatment with convalescent plasma did not shorten the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation or speed up recovery and hospital discharge.
The study included 475 patients who had been admitted to intensive care units to treat COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome. The median age of the study cohort was 64 years old, and approximately 10% of them had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. These patients had been mechanically ventilated, and their median PaO2/FiO2 ratio was approximately 120. These participants were randomly assigned to be treated with either placebo or convalescent plasma, which was isolated from donors who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 within the past 10 months. The treatment was administered intravenously within 24 hours of enrollment into the trial. The participants were monitored for 28 days, and the researchers found that the mortality rate in the convalescent plasma group was 35.4%, which was significantly lower than the 45% in those who were treated with placebo. However, the treatment with convalescent plasma did not shorten the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation or speed up recovery and hospital discharge.