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Blood plasma treatment has limited effect for sickest COVID patients

Treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with blood plasma from people who have fought off the disease has limited impact on patient outcomes.

The early findings, which are yet to be published, come from the REMAP-CAP study and show that treatment with convalescent plasma did not improve outcomes among patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) support.

There was no evidence of harm associated with the administration of convalescent plasma, but investigators have paused enrollment of severely ill COVID-19 patients in ICU to this arm of REMAP-CAP study.

They explain the trial will continue to recruit hospitalised COVID-19 patients who are moderately unwell and are not requiring intensive care, to assess if less severely ill patients benefit from the treatment.

Professor Anthony Gordon, professor of anaesthesia and critical care at Imperial College London and an NIHR research professor, said: “I am glad REMAP-CAP has been able to provide important evidence about which patients might benefit from convalescent plasma.

“Although it is disappointing that all critically ill patients don’t appear to gain any benefit, this is still vitally important to know. Convalescent plasma is a precious resource, and we can now continue to focus on identifying exactly which patients might benefit the most from treatment – maybe people earlier in their illness or those with weak immune systems.”

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Upcoming Events

Central Sterilising Club - Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Crowne Plaza at Gerrard’s Cross
15th April 2024 – 16th April 2024

DECON UK 2024

National Conference Centre, Birmingham
17th April 2024

Infection Prevention & Control

National Conference Centre, Birmingham
23rd - 24th April 2024

Theatres & Decontamination Conference 2024

Coventry Building Society Arena
16th May 2024

The AfPP Roadshow - Birmingham

Millennium Point, Birmingham
18th May 2024

The AfPP Roadshow - Exeter

University of Exeter
22nd June 2024

Access the latest issue of Clinical Services Journal on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Clinical Services Journal app from your device's App store

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