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Convalescent Plasma Therapy in Coronavirus Disease 2019: a Case Report and Suggestions to Overcome Obstacles
Jae Hyoung Im1, Chung Hyun Nahm2, Ji Hyeon Baek1
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Insights
Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy shows promise for treating COVID-19, even with ABO-incompatible plasma. Establishing a CP bank can overcome logistical challenges for broader application.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Hematology
- Transfusion Medicine
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a global health crisis with limited treatment options.
- Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy is a potential treatment, but its use in Korea is hindered by concerns over adverse effects and donor-recipient matching difficulties.
- Physician hesitation exists regarding ABO-incompatible plasma due to limited experience, despite it not being contraindicated.
Observation:
- A case report details the successful ABO-incompatible plasma therapy in a 68-year-old male COVID-19 patient.
- Acute side effects associated with ABO mismatch transfusion were monitored and commented upon.
Findings:
- ABO-incompatible plasma transfusion can be a viable option for COVID-19 treatment.
- The study highlights the need for strategies to facilitate CP therapy, addressing donor-recipient logistical issues.
Implications:
- Implementing frozen plasma storage, modifying blood management laws, and establishing a CP bank are proposed solutions.
- Experience with CP therapy for COVID-19 can inform strategies for future emerging infectious diseases.
- This approach can improve patient outcomes and preparedness for novel viral threats.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading around the world, causing much morbidity and mortality everywhere. However, effective treatments or vaccines are still not available. Although convalescent plasma (CP) therapy can be useful in the treatment of COVID-19, it has not been widely used in Korea because of the concerns about adverse effects and the difficulty in matching patients to donors. The use of ABO-incompatible plasma is not contraindicated in treatment, but can be hesitated due to the lack of experience of physicians. Here, we describe a 68-year old man with COVID-19 who was treated ABO-incompatible plasma therapy; additionally, we comment on the acute side effects associated with ABO mismatch transfusion. To overcome the obstacles of donor-recipient connections (schedule and distance), we propose the storage of frozen plasma, modification of the current Blood Management Law, and the establishment of a CP bank. We suggest that experience gained in CP therapy will be useful for not only the treatment of COVID-19, but also for coping with new emerging infectious diseases.
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