Study objective

Given the link between cytokines release with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)disease, and the effect hemoperfusion on the removal of these cytokines, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of hemoperfusion in patients with severe COVID-19.

Methods

The study is a controlled trial conducted on critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted in the state hospital, and who received different antiviral and antibacterial drugs, and different modes of respiratory treatments without any positive clinical improvements. There was no blindness or randomization. All participants underwent three sessions of resin-directed hemoperfusion with the help of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with a mode of continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH).

Results

In the study, including 5 men and 5 women with a mean age of 57.30±18.07 years, 6 showed improvement after the intervention. Peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) altered following each session. Mean SpO2 before the three sessions were 89.60%±3.94% and increased to 92.13%±3.28% after the interventional sessions (p<0.001). There was also a noted reduction in serum IL-6 from 139.70±105.62 to 72.06±65.87 pg/mL (P<0.073) and C-reactive protein reduced to 78.25±38.67 mg/L from 136.25±84.39 (p =0.016).

Conclusions

The authors concluded from the findings that the extracorporeal hemoadsorption could improve the general condition in most of the recruited patients with severe coronavirus disease; however, large prospective multicenter trials in carefully selected patients are needed to assess the efficacy of hemoperfusion in COVID-19 patients.

Source

Asgharpour M, et al. Effectiveness of extracorporeal blood purification (hemoadsorption) in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). BMC Nephrol. 2020;21:356.