Introduction: 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.
Methods: 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.
Results: 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).
Conclusion: 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.
Keywords: acute renal failure; coronavirus; cytokines; microangiopathy; plasmapheresis; survival.
© 2022 International Society for Apheresis and Japanese Society for Apheresis.