Our convalescent plasma experiences in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective: Despite vaccine and drug studies, convalescent plasma (CP) therapy remains an alternative treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we aimed to reveal the efficacy of CP therapy on mortality and the factors affecting it for the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which were followed in our intensive care unit (ICU).
 Material and Method: The data (demographic characteristics, the amount of CP used, PaO2/FiO2, leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte, D-Dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin values, and the clinical findings) of the patients who were hospitalized in the ICU with the diagnosis of COVID-19 and received CP treatment between 20 March and 20 October 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Data of deceased patients (n=29) and survivors (n=50) were compared with each other and logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship with mortality.
 Results: 79 patients who received 166 units of CP therapy after a mean of 13.45±3.6 days symptom onset, were identified. 96.2% of the patients had at least one concomitant disease. Mortality was observed in 29 (36.7%) of the patients. Mortality (5.1%) was less common in those receiving CP therapy within the first 14 days after the onset of symptoms. Patient age (p=0.041), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (p=0.004), CRP values (p=0.002), the number of comorbidities (p