How effective is rescue therapeutic plasma exchange in treatment of SARS-Coronavirus-2?

After the FDA gave emergency approval for the use of therapeutic plasma exchange in treatment for SARS-Coronoavirus-2, we analyzed its efficacy in patients who had failed all other known therapies.

This was a prospective observational study of 42 patients with SARS-Coronoavirus-2 who had failed conventional therapy and were treated with therapeutic plasma exchange. Pre- and postexchange clinical and laboratory parameters were monitored. The patients were then also compared with a group of 147 patients with SARS-Coronoavirus-2 who were referred for stage 3 acute renal failure and dialysis from SARS-Coronoavirus-2.

After therapeutic plasma exchange, there were significant improvements in some clinical parameters but mortality remained high; although better than the renal failure group (43.9% vs. 50.7%, p = 0.004).

SARS-CoV-2 patients who failed all other therapies had significant mortality with therapeutic plasma exchange; however, their survival was better than SARS-CoV-2 patients with stage 3 acute renal failure.