Convalescent Plasma Infusion does not Appear to Change the Prognosis in Italian Patients Hospitalized with Sars-Cov-2 Pneumonia
Gianluca Gessoni *
Transfusion Medicine Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Giovanni Roveroni
Transfusion Medicine Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Lauretta Moro
Transfusion Medicine Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Michela Pivetta
Transfusion Medicine Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Michele Tessarin
Health Management Direction, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Domenico Bagnara
ULSS 3 Serenissima, Administrative Management Control, Italy.
Sara Valverde
Clinical Pathology Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Rossi Carla
Transfusion Medicine Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Coluccia Enza
Transfusion Medicine Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Collodel Luca
Transfusion Medicine Department, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Roberto Valle
Cardiology and Intensive Coronary Unit, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
Giovanni Carretta
Health Management Control, ULSS 3 Serenissima, Italy.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This case-control prospective study aimed to describe the effects of COVID convalescent plasma (CCP) on late mortality in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.
Study Design: In this study were enrolled 214 consecutive patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalized during the fourth trimester of 2020 in Venice Prefecture (North-East Italy). admitted to COVID-19 Hospitals of our district were enrolled.
Methodology: Confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection was made through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test in nasopharyngeal swabs. The severity of each patient’s clinical condition was determined considering the Berlin score radiological findings and ventilatory data. Clinical data, risk factors and comorbidity, laboratory test reports and imaging diagnosis of all patients were recorded at hospitalization. In Italy, during the fourth trimester 2020 standard therapy for COVID-19 Pneumonia was: NSAIDs, ventilator support, LMWH, steroids, antibiotics and antiviral drugs; 108 patients received standard therapy alone and 106 received standard therapy in combination with CCP. The endpoint was mortality at 30 days.
Results: Patients series were comparable for gender, age, comorbidity and risk factors, Berlin score, PaO2/FiO2. Data concerning radiological findings and data concerning ventilatory support suggested a higher severity of patients treated with standard therapy plus CCP. Mortality rate at 30 days was 30.6% among subjects treated with standard therapy versus 30.2% among subjects treated with standard therapy plus CCP. The mortality observed in the two groups did not differ significantly. In the present study, however, we observed a higher mortality than reported in the literature. This result may be attributable to the greater severity of the patients considered.
Conclusions: This case-control prospective study showed that in a cohort of hospitalized patients suffering from severe 19 pneumonia, the addition of CCP to the standard therapy did not impact the mortality rate at 30 days. However, we believe that further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy.
Keywords: COVID-19, Serotherapy, Mortality, Pneumonia, Risk factors