A large meta-analysis on the use of convalescent plasma therapy early in the pandemic found no survival advantage for the typical patient hospitalized with COVID-19. However, researchers have now devised a tool to identify who may benefit.

The simple tool, named the Convalescent Plasma Benefit Index Calculator, enables doctors to input patient criteria to ascertain if the patient may benefit from convalescent plasma - age, oxygen need, blood type, and history of either diabetes, heart disease, or pulmonary disease. The meta-analysis and the study on the validated treatment benefit index (TBI) tool derived from it, were published in JAMA Network Open.

The Continuous Monitoring of Pooled International Trials of Convalescent Plasma for COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients (COMPILE) meta-analysis found no significant difference between patients receiving convalescent plasma therapy or control patients on the basis of 11-point ordinal World Health Organization (WHO) scale. Using data from COMPILE, researchers identified the groups with the highest odds of a large benefit from convalescent plasma (B1 group; 28% of the population), a modest benefit (B2 group; 42%), and people who may not benefit or may even be at risk of potential harm (B3 group; 31%): B1: OR 0.69; B2: OR 0.82; B3: OR 1.58. People in group B1 had a higher likelihood of having A or AB blood type (56% for each), and a history of cardiovascular disease (52%) or pulmonary disease (52%). B1 and B2 groups each had double the rates of diabetes in comparison with the group that obtained little benefit (40% vs. 20%)… (Medpage Today)