First plasma therapy trial in Maharashtra: 53-year-old’s condition improves

After undergoing the first round of convalescent plasma therapy on Saturday night, the condition of the 53-year-old man who was on ventilator support at Lilavati

After undergoing the first round of convalescent plasma therapy on Saturday night, the condition of the 53-year-old man who was on ventilator support at Lilavati Hospital has improved. The hospital gave him one more transfusion of 200 ml on Sunday, the final one (also of 200 ml) will be given on Monday.

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The therapy involves transfusing plasma – a component of the blood – from a recovered patient into one who is fighting the infection, to act as a reinforcement for the latter’s immune system.

“His intake of oxygen has improved but it will be too early to comment on it,” said a health officer from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Coincidentally, the blood group of the donor which is O-positive, got matched with the recipient. Though cross -blood group transfusion is possible but presently hospitals are not risking it.

In this process, blood is collected from cured young patients who don’t have any comorbid health issues. After extracting plasma, it is transfused into older patients who have a higher mortality rate.

Kerala was the first state to start the convalescent plasma therapy with approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

As HT reported earlier, on April 13, Lokmanya Tilak General Municipal Hospital collected around 600 ml of blood from a recovered Covid-19 patient in his 20s for the transfusion. Dr Om Srivastava, an epidemiologist is heading the process. Following this, ICMR, Lilavati hospital was allowed to conduct the first plasma transmission in the state on Saturday night.

“To run the clinical trial, we had to seek permission from the family of the patients,” said an official from the hospital.

As per the sources from the hospital, they have sought approval from BMC to allow them to extract plasma for the process, so that they don’t have to depend on other hospitals.

“We have our blood bank where cured patients after three works of recovery can donate his/her blood for the process. But for that we have approached BMC which will seek permission from the ICMR,” said the official, on condition of anonymity.

BMC has got three more donors for plasma therapy.

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