One hundred and fifty of the 175 patients with coronavirus transfused with blood plasma in the province of Buenos Aires, that is, 85 percent, recovered, said the director of the Institute of Hemotherapy in Buenos Aires, Nora Etchenique.
“We have 25 patients who died despite the plasma that was transfused, but these people were in critical condition, they had already presented multiple organ failure and had mechanical ventilation for 15 days,” said the professional.
The doctor assured that after these cases it was observed that “the apheresis plasma transfusion works for moderate to severe patients.”
“For now we have stock to meet demand; this stricter quarantine will allow us to strengthen the teams to carry out this type of transfusion in the parties of General Rodríguez and the cities of Mar del Plata and Bahía Blanca,” the professional told the channel. TV A24.
The specialist pointed out that not all people recovered from coronaviruses can donate their plasma and estimated that about 30% of the elderly, women and children recovered can donate it.
“With the apheresis model we have the same patient who can donate up to three times their plasma. A man, for example, can do it up to five times a year, while a woman four times,” said the director of the institute.
Etchenique specified that this method is obtaining “very good results”, although he clarified that “asymptomatic patients who were detected with the Sars CoV-2 virus, no antibody can be extracted, yes in the case of those recovered who were in a moderate to severe state of the disease. “
The doctor also indicated that the amount of plasma that is transferred is 275 cubic centimeters and that obese people should receive two units of plasma.
From the Hemotherapy Institute “we are studying transferring plasma by the apheresis method to children and adolescents who are severe due to the coronavirus,” added the specialist.
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