Convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients: a non-randomized case-control study with concurrent control

Convalescent plasma therapy has shown controversial results in coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients. We performed a non-randomized case-control study with contemporaneous controls in a hospital in southern Brazil. Patients were selected for treatment with convalescent plasma by medical decision and compared with patients who did not receive plasma and were hospitalized due to COVID-19 at the same time. The outcomes of interest were intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital death. Patients that received convalescent plasma had lower in-hospital mortality than patients that did not receive plasma (relative risk (RR) 0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29 to 0.79) and these results were consistent after changing the subset of control patients. There were no differences regarding ICU admission between groups (RR=0.80; 95%CI: 0.47 to 1.35). In this study, patients that received convalescent plasma for COVID-19 had lower in-hospital mortality, but this finding requires further confirmation given the retrospective nature of the study.

Prospective study of strongyloidosis in patients with hematologic malignancies

Immunocompromised individuals infected with Strongyloides stercoralis may develop severe hyperinfection or disseminated disease with high mortality. Patients with hematological malignancies are at risk because of immunodepression produced either by the disease or its treatment. A prospective study was undertaken at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, from July 1994 to July 1995. Seventy-two (HIV negative), had 3 stool samples collected at different days and had not received recent anthelmintic therapy. Larvae, isolated in a modified Baermann method, were found in 6 patients, with a resultant prevalence of 8.3%. No complicated strongyloidosis was documented. The positive result for S. stercoralis larvae was significantly associated (p < 0.001) with eosinophilia. Knowledge of prevalence figures and incidence of severe disease is important to adequate guidelines for empirical treatment besides the rigorous search for strongyloidosis in patients with hematological malignancies.

Indivíduos imunocomprometidos infectados com Strongyloides stercoralis podem desenvolver quadros severos de hiperinfecção ou doença disseminada com elevada mortalidade. Pacientes portadores de neoplasias hematológicas tem imunodepressão causada pela doença básica ou pelo seu tratamento. Um estudo prospectivo foi desenvolvido no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, entre julho 1994 e julho de 1995. Setenta e dois pacientes (HIV negativos), tiveram 3 amostras de fezes coletadas em diferentes dias e não tinham recebido medicação antihelmíntica recentemente. Larvas, isoladas por método de Baermann modificado, foram encontradas em 6 pacientes, resultando em prevalência de 8,3%. Não foi documentado nenhum episódio de estrongiloidose complicada. O resultado positivo para pesquisa de S. stercoralis estava significativamente associado (p < 0,001) com eosinofilia. O conhecimento das taxas de prevalência e incidência de doença grave é importante para adequar as recomendações para tratamento empírico além da rigorosa pesquisa da estrongiloidose nos pacientes com neoplasias hematológicas.