Transfusion
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Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) has many known disease associations, including autoimmune, lymphoproliferative, and certain infectious diseases, as well as various medications. Studies have found that severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be associated with coagulopathies; however, the potential association with AIHA is not clear. ⋯ There are few reports of patients with concurrent COVID-19 and AIHA, and the association is not clear. Although COVID-19 has been shown to be associated with coagulopathies, more research is required to determine whether AIHA may also be a potential complication.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has placed great strain on blood resources. In an effort to extend platelet (PLT) shelf life and minimize waste, our institution transitioned room temperature to cold-stored PLTs for administration to bleeding patients. ⋯ Cold-stored PLT utilization was associated with adequate hemostasis and no overt signal for patient harm. Conversion from room temperature to cold-stored PLTs may be one method of reducing waste in times of scarce blood inventories.
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Multicenter Study
Blood use and transfusion needs at a large health care system in Washington state during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
This report evaluates hospital blood use trends during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, and identifies factors associated with the need for transfusion and risk of death in patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ The response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic included changes in routine hospital operations that allowed for the provision of a sufficient level of care for patients with and without COVID-19. Although blood type may play a role in COVID-19 susceptibility, it did not seem to be associated with patient mortality.
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The ongoing outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused great global concerns. In contrast to SARS, some SARS-CoV-2-infected people can be asymptomatic or have only mild nonspecific symptoms. Furthermore, there is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 may be infectious during an asymptomatic incubation period. With the discovery that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in plasma or serum, blood safety is worthy of consideration. ⋯ A high-throughput NAT screening system was developed for SARS-CoV-2 screening of blood donations during the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) collection began in two Brazilian hospitals for treatment of severe/critical patients. ⋯ RT-PCR +ve cases are still detected in 36.2% within 28 to 48 days after recovery. High anti-nucleocapsid protein IgG levels may be used as a surrogate marker to neutralizing antibody.