Abstract
Convalescent plasma is a suggested treatment for Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), but its efficacy is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate whether the use of convalescent plasma is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with Covid-19.In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched randomized controlled trials investigating the use of convalescent plasma in patients with Covid-19 in Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and medRxiv from inception to October 17th, 2021. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. The primary efficacy outcome was all-cause mortality. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) method were used. This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021284861. Of the 8874 studies identified in the initial search, sixteen trials comprising 16 317 patients with Covid-19 were included. In the overall population, the all-cause mortality was 23.8% (2025 of 8524) with convalescent plasma and 24.4% (1903 of 7769) with standard of care (risk ratio (RR) 0.97, 95% CI 0.90-1.04) (high-certainty evidence). All-cause mortality did not differ in the subgroups of noncritically ill (21.7% [1288 of 5929] vs. 22.4% [1320 of 5882]) and critically ill (36.9% [518 of 1404] vs. 36.4% [455 of 1247]) patients with Covid-19. The use of convalescent plasma in patients who tested negative for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at baseline was not associated with significantly improved survival (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.87-1.02). In the overall study population, initiation of mechanical ventilation (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.88-1.07), time to clinical improvement (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.91-1.30), and time to discharge (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.89-1.02) were similar between the two groups. In patients with Covid-19, treatment with convalescent plasma, as compared with control, was not associated with lower all-cause mortality or improved disease progression, irrespective of disease severity and baseline antibody status.Systematic Review Registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier PROSPERO (CRD42021284861).
Highlights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is an acute illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) that is associated with severe inflammation and organ dysfunction
We aimed to evaluate whether the use of convalescent plasma is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with Covid-19.In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched randomized controlled trials investigating the use of convalescent plasma in patients with Covid-19 in Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and medRxiv from inception to October 17th, 2021
In this meta-analysis that included sixteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with over 16 000 patients with Covid-19, there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality or any other clinical outcomes between treatment with convalescent plasma and control (Figure 3)
Summary
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is an acute illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) that is associated with severe inflammation and organ dysfunction. Therapeutic use of plasma from individuals who have recovered from Covid-19 has been hypothesized to show clinical benefits, in immunocompromised patients and when used early in the course of the disease [1]. The treatment rationale behind the use of convalescent plasma is to bridge the critical time period until a sufficient immune response is established in the infected patient [2]. The use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of patients with Covid-19 has attracted widespread attention, yet definitive evidence of its efficacy is missing. Observational data showed that convalescent plasma may have a role for patients who are immunocompromised and unable to adequately produce antibodies [3, 4]. Clinical data from randomized controlled trials were unable to reproduce these findings in an overall Covid-19 patient population
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