Outcomes of COVID-19 Patients Undergoing Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Intensive Care Units

Aim: The place of therapeutic plasma exchange in severe COVID-19 patients is a controversial issue. Data on the relationship between the clinical variables and dynamics of inflammatory markers and outcomes are limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of clinical variables and laboratory dynamics on patient outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients undergoing therapeutic plasma exchange in intensive care units.Study design: Single-center retrospective study Material and Methods: Adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients with severe COVID-19 infection who underwent at least one therapeutic plasma exchange procedure in a single tertiary center were analyzed. The primary outcome of the study was hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were ICU and 14th day mortality, hospital and ICU length of stay.Results: Sixty-four patients with a mean age of 56 were included to the study. A total of 51 patients (79%) died. In the multivariate analysis; there were no demographic, clinical or laboratory parameters affecting hospital mortality, ICU mortality or 14th day mortality. Platelet count before first therapeutic plasma exchange has positive moderate correlation with both hospital (r=0.454) and ICU (r=0.449) length of stay.Conclusion: This study shows that there is no single laboratory test or clinical parameter to define the patients likely to benefit from TPE. Further studies are essential to determine the role of TPE for severe COVID-19 patients to reduce mortality.