Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in India

Background and Objectives: ICMR conducted a multicentric trial “PLACID” that allowed COVID convalescent plasma (CCP) as an experimental drug for the management of moderate COVID-19 disease and the authors' institute was one of the participating centers. The efficacy of CCP in COVID-19 is still...

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Main Authors: Geet Aggarwal, Aseem Kumar Tiwari, Swati Pabbi, Arghyadeep Marik, Ganesh Rawat, Jyoti Sharma, Nixon P Joseph, Vikash Vashisth, Govind Sharma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2022-01-01
Series:Global Journal of Transfusion Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.gjtmonline.com/article.asp?issn=2468-8398;year=2022;volume=7;issue=1;spage=65;epage=70;aulast=Aggarwal
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author Geet Aggarwal
Aseem Kumar Tiwari
Swati Pabbi
Arghyadeep Marik
Ganesh Rawat
Jyoti Sharma
Nixon P Joseph
Vikash Vashisth
Govind Sharma
author_facet Geet Aggarwal
Aseem Kumar Tiwari
Swati Pabbi
Arghyadeep Marik
Ganesh Rawat
Jyoti Sharma
Nixon P Joseph
Vikash Vashisth
Govind Sharma
author_sort Geet Aggarwal
collection DOAJ
description Background and Objectives: ICMR conducted a multicentric trial “PLACID” that allowed COVID convalescent plasma (CCP) as an experimental drug for the management of moderate COVID-19 disease and the authors' institute was one of the participating centers. The efficacy of CCP in COVID-19 is still debatable. However, unlike therapeutic efficacy, there is not enough literature on issues and challenges faced by health-care institutions in donor recruitment, and the entire vein-to-vein process and approach of CCP transfusion. The authors would like to share their experiences, challenges faced, and their mitigation during the course of donor recruitment, screening, testing, apheresis donation, storage, inventory management, and issue and transfusion of CCP including the regulatory provisions, as their evolution. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted over a period of 7 months at a large tertiary care hospital in north India. Based on ICMR guidelines, the study analyzed the screening process and donation from all consecutive potential CCP donors. The study also identified various issues and challenges faced by the institute and how they were resolved. Results: Prospective donors registered at the blood center were 843. Majority were males (96.6%), first-time CCP donors (93%), age interval 31–45 years (52.2%), who had a history of mild COVID-19 symptoms (86.9%), and were home-quarantined (83.8%). The most common blood group was B positive (50.6%). Only 6.3% of donors were deferred due to the absence of anti-COVID-19 antibodies. Of 843, 705 selected CCP donors donated 1488 CCP units and six donors (0.8%) experienced mild adverse reactions. Challenges faced by authors included donor recruitment, lack of regulatory approval for plasmapheresis, revisions of COVID-specific selection criteria, no “anti-COVID-19 antibody” kit, and CCP inventory management. Conclusion: This study provides real-world comprehensive data on process management of CCP donors and their donations. This understanding of the process, its challenges, and their mitigation could be a template for any possible future pandemic.
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spelling doaj.art-f4a54be4c054470f8998d608be4252ae2022-12-22T00:24:20ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsGlobal Journal of Transfusion Medicine2468-83982455-88932022-01-0171657010.4103/gjtm.gjtm_101_21Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in IndiaGeet AggarwalAseem Kumar TiwariSwati PabbiArghyadeep MarikGanesh RawatJyoti SharmaNixon P JosephVikash VashisthGovind SharmaBackground and Objectives: ICMR conducted a multicentric trial “PLACID” that allowed COVID convalescent plasma (CCP) as an experimental drug for the management of moderate COVID-19 disease and the authors' institute was one of the participating centers. The efficacy of CCP in COVID-19 is still debatable. However, unlike therapeutic efficacy, there is not enough literature on issues and challenges faced by health-care institutions in donor recruitment, and the entire vein-to-vein process and approach of CCP transfusion. The authors would like to share their experiences, challenges faced, and their mitigation during the course of donor recruitment, screening, testing, apheresis donation, storage, inventory management, and issue and transfusion of CCP including the regulatory provisions, as their evolution. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted over a period of 7 months at a large tertiary care hospital in north India. Based on ICMR guidelines, the study analyzed the screening process and donation from all consecutive potential CCP donors. The study also identified various issues and challenges faced by the institute and how they were resolved. Results: Prospective donors registered at the blood center were 843. Majority were males (96.6%), first-time CCP donors (93%), age interval 31–45 years (52.2%), who had a history of mild COVID-19 symptoms (86.9%), and were home-quarantined (83.8%). The most common blood group was B positive (50.6%). Only 6.3% of donors were deferred due to the absence of anti-COVID-19 antibodies. Of 843, 705 selected CCP donors donated 1488 CCP units and six donors (0.8%) experienced mild adverse reactions. Challenges faced by authors included donor recruitment, lack of regulatory approval for plasmapheresis, revisions of COVID-specific selection criteria, no “anti-COVID-19 antibody” kit, and CCP inventory management. Conclusion: This study provides real-world comprehensive data on process management of CCP donors and their donations. This understanding of the process, its challenges, and their mitigation could be a template for any possible future pandemic.http://www.gjtmonline.com/article.asp?issn=2468-8398;year=2022;volume=7;issue=1;spage=65;epage=70;aulast=Aggarwalapheresiscovid convalescent plasmacovid-19donor managementplasma therapy
spellingShingle Geet Aggarwal
Aseem Kumar Tiwari
Swati Pabbi
Arghyadeep Marik
Ganesh Rawat
Jyoti Sharma
Nixon P Joseph
Vikash Vashisth
Govind Sharma
Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in India
Global Journal of Transfusion Medicine
apheresis
covid convalescent plasma
covid-19
donor management
plasma therapy
title Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in India
title_full Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in India
title_fullStr Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in India
title_full_unstemmed Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in India
title_short Experiences, challenges, and their mitigation during COVID convalescent plasma donation management: Data from a single center in India
title_sort experiences challenges and their mitigation during covid convalescent plasma donation management data from a single center in india
topic apheresis
covid convalescent plasma
covid-19
donor management
plasma therapy
url http://www.gjtmonline.com/article.asp?issn=2468-8398;year=2022;volume=7;issue=1;spage=65;epage=70;aulast=Aggarwal
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