Efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine clinical outcomes associated with convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients. We performed a literature search on PubMed, medRxiv, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify studies published up to December 10th, 2020 that examined the efficacy of convalescent plasma treatment for COVID-19. The primary endpoints were mortality, clinical improvement, and hospital length of stay. We screened 859 studies that met the search criteria, performed full-text reviews of 56 articles, and identified 15 articles that fulfilled inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The odds of mortality were significantly lower in the convalescent plasma group compared to the control group (OR = 0.59 [95% CI = 0.44; 0.78], P < .001), although results from two key randomized controlled trials did not support the mortality benefit. The odds of clinical improvement were significantly higher in the convalescent plasma group compared to the control group (OR = 2.02 [95% CI = 1.54; 2.65], P < .001). There was no difference in hospital length of stay between the convalescent plasma group and the control group (MD = -0.49 days [95% CI = -3.11; 2.12], P = .713). In all, these data indicate that a mortality benefit with convalescent plasma is unclear, although there remain benefits with convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19.

Beyond Midostaurin: Role of Avapritinib in Managing Systemic Mastocytosis.

We present a case of an adult male who presented with pancytopenia accompanied by symptomatic anemia, necessitating chronic transfusions. He was diagnosed with systemic mastocytosis with an associated hematologic neoplasm. Following an inadequate response to midostaurin therapy, the patient was initiated on the newly approved avapritinib. The patient showed significant improvements in all three blood cell lines; however, he developed leg edema, blepharedema, and gum bleeding on this medication. This case underscores the intricacies of managing a patient with advanced systemic mastocytosis, the emerging role of highly selective KIT inhibition in its treatment, and the practical management of adverse medication effects.

Mortality of COVID-19 in patients with hematological malignancies versus solid tumors: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Cancer patients are more vulnerable to COVID-19 compared to the general population, but it remains unclear which types of cancer have the highest risk of COVID-19-related mortality. This study examines mortality rates for those with hematological malignancies (Hem) versus solid tumors (Tumor). PubMed and Embase were systematically searched for relevant articles using Nested Knowledge software (Nested Knowledge, St Paul, MN). Articles were eligible for inclusion if they reported mortality for Hem or Tumor patients with COVID-19. Articles were excluded if they were not published in English, non-clinical studies, had insufficient population/outcomes reporting, or were irrelevant. Baseline characteristics collected included age, sex, and comorbidities. Primary outcomes were all-cause and COVID-19-related in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included rates of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Effect sizes from each study were computed as logarithmically transformed odds ratios (ORs) with random-effects, Mantel-Haenszel weighting. The between-study variance component of random-effects models was computed using restricted effects maximum likelihood estimation, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) around pooled effect sizes were calculated using Hartung-Knapp adjustments. In total, 12,057 patients were included in the analysis, with 2,714 (22.5%) patients in the Hem group and 9,343 (77.5%) patients in the Tumor group. The overall unadjusted odds of all-cause mortality were 1.64 times higher in the Hem group compared to the Tumor group (95% CI: 1.30-2.09). This finding was consistent with multivariable models presented in moderate- and high-quality cohort studies, suggestive of a causal effect of cancer type on in-hospital mortality. Additionally, the Hem group had increased odds of COVID-19-related mortality compared to the Tumor group (OR = 1.86 [95% CI: 1.38-2.49]). There was no significant difference in odds of IMV or ICU admission between cancer groups (OR = 1.13 [95% CI: 0.64-2.00] and OR = 1.59 [95% CI: 0.95-2.66], respectively). Cancer is a serious comorbidity associated with severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients, with especially alarming mortality rates in patients with hematological malignancies, which are typically higher compared to patients with solid tumors. A meta-analysis of individual patient data is needed to better assess the impact of specific cancer types on patient outcomes and to identify optimal treatment strategies.

Epidemiology and Outcomes of Hospitalizations Due to Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a severe complication of cirrhosis and the incidence of HCC has been increasing in the United States (US). We aim to describe the trends, characteristics, and outcomes of hospitalizations due to HCC across the last decade. Methods We derived a study cohort from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for the years 2008-2017. Adult hospitalizations due to HCC were identified using the International Classification of Diseases (9th/10th Editions) Clinical Modification diagnosis codes (ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM). Comorbidities were also identified by ICD-9/10-CM codes and Elixhauser Comorbidity Software (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland, US). Our primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and discharge to the facility. We then utilized the Cochran-Armitage trend test and multivariable survey logistic regression models to analyze the trends, outcomes, and predictors. Results A total of 155,436 adult hospitalizations occurred due to HCC from 2008-2017. The number of hospitalizations with HCC decreased from 16,754 in 2008 to 14,715 in 2017. Additionally, trends of in-hospital mortality declined over the study period but discharge to facilities remained stable. Furthermore, in multivariable regression analysis, predictors of increased mortality in HCC patients were advanced age (OR 1.1; 95%CI 1.0-1.2; p< 0.0001), African American (OR 1.3; 95%CI 1.1-1.4;p< 0.001), Rural/ non-teaching hospitals (OR 2.7; 95%CI 2.4-3.3; p< 0.001), uninsured (OR 1.9; CI 1.6-2.2; p< 0.0001) and complications like septicemia and pneumonia as well as comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and renal failure. We observed similar trends in discharge to facilities. Conclusions In this nationally representative study, we observed a decrease in hospitalizations of patients with HCC along with in-hospital mortality; however, discharge to facilities remained stable over the last decade. We also identified multiple predictors significantly associated with increased mortality, some of which are potentially modifiable and can be points of interest for future studies.