Safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy for the management of
COVID-19: A systematic review
Abstract
Aim: Till date, no proven treatment exists for coronavirus disease
(COVID-19), though different types of treatment modalities are being
practiced around the world. Small-scale convalescent plasma (CP)
therapies from COVID-19 recovered donors have shown favorable results
with fewer adverse consequences. In this systematic review, we aimed to
determine the safety and efficacy of CP as a therapy for COVID-19.
Methods: The English language databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, and
ScienceDirect were searched upto 22 May 2020. Eligibility for inclusion,
risk of bias assessment, and data extraction from the included studies
was determined and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: A total
of 12 studies were selected for review. The overall risks of bias was
high. The results revealed that the initiation of CP therapy during the
early stages of viremia was significant in a safety and efficacy
viewpoint. The patients were also receiving concomitant drugs and other
supportive therapies in 10 studies. Viral loads were documented to
decrease and become negative in 8 studies within 3-26 days
post-transfusion. The improvement in clinical symptoms following CP
therapy was demonstrated in 9 studies. Most of the patients experienced
very few adverse effects. There were a total of 622 mortalities out of
5079 patients in total studies. Conclusions: The rational practice of CP
therapy based on a risk-benefit judgment can prove to be an efficacious
therapeutic option until the approval of any therapeutic and/or
prophylactic agent(s), though substantial randomized controlled trials
(RCTs) are necessary to validate the effectiveness of such therapy.