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Abstract: PO0802

Plasma Exchange in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

Session Information

Category: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • 000 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Authors

  • Morath, Christian, Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Weigand, Markus A., Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Zeier, Martin G., Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Speer, Claudius, Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Hippchen, Theresa, Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Tiwari-Heckler, Shilpa, Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Merle, Uta, Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Introduction

The spectrum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ranges from asymptomatic infection to respiratory failure and death of patients. Severely affected patients may develop a cytokine storm-like clinical syndrome with multi-organ failure and a mortality rate of up to 90%.

Case Description

Here we report on five COVID-19 patients with a median age of 67 years who were treated at the intensive care unit due to respiratory failure. Prophylactic antibiotic, antimycotic, and antiviral/immunomodulatory therapy was initiated in all patients upon admission. During the course of the disease, patients developed circulatory shock and persistent fever together with increased interleukin 6-levels compatible with the cytokine storm-like clinical syndrome. In addition, all patients had multi-organ failure with acute respiratory-distress syndrome (ARDS, 4 severe, 1 moderate) and acute kidney injury of at least KDIGO stage 2. A single PE with a median of 3.39 L of fresh frozen plasma was initiated in all patients followed by one additional treatment in patients 1, 3, and 5. During the PE, striking reduction of inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (-47%, P=0.0078) and interleukin 6 (-74%, P=0.0078), as well as significant reduction of ferritin (-49%, P=0.0078), LDH (-41%, P=0.0078), and D-Dimer (-47%, P=0.016) were observed. Due to circulatory shock, four patients received vasopressor treatment at the start of the PE that could be substantially reduced during treatment (-71%, P=0.031). Biochemical and clinical improvement continued over the following days together with an increase in the oxygenation index in 4 out of 5 patients. These improvements were achieved with only 1 to 2 PE, which might be a possible indication of a direct pathophysiological influence of PE on the COVID-19-associated cytokine storm-like clinical syndrome. Three of the 5 most critically ill patients are alive, while a 71-year-old male and a 76-year-old female patient died after the therapy was limited due to persistent severe ARDS.

Discussion

PE improved inflammation, microcirculatory clot formation, and hypotension, thereby improving clinical outcomes. Further studies to test whether (repeated) PE can alter the course of critically ill COVID-19 patients are clearly indicated.