Home In Reply — Micro-Thrombosis, Perfusion Defects, and Worsening Oxygenation in COVID-19 Patients: A Word of Caution on the Use of Convalescent Plasma This letter to the editors of Mayo Clinic Proceedings continues an ongoing scholarly conversation around the article "Safety Update: COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in 20,000 Hospitalized Patients." The authors respond to a previous letter that raised concerns about the impact of procoagulant factors in plasma on the coagulation cascades of patients with severe COVID-19. In summary: The authors agree with the word of caution in the previous letter, particularly regarding patients with COVID-19 who have dysregulated coagulation systems that promote hypercoagulation. The coagulation profile of plasma and its likely effect on hemostatic balance should be a factor in clinical decisions about the therapeutic use of convalescent plasma. However, the authors argue that the low rate of thrombotic and thromboembolic events provides strong support of the safety profile of convalescent plasma, even among hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. Read the letter.
This letter to the editors of Mayo Clinic Proceedings continues an ongoing scholarly conversation around the article "Safety Update: COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in 20,000 Hospitalized Patients." The authors respond to a previous letter that raised concerns about the impact of procoagulant factors in plasma on the coagulation cascades of patients with severe COVID-19. In summary: The authors agree with the word of caution in the previous letter, particularly regarding patients with COVID-19 who have dysregulated coagulation systems that promote hypercoagulation. The coagulation profile of plasma and its likely effect on hemostatic balance should be a factor in clinical decisions about the therapeutic use of convalescent plasma. However, the authors argue that the low rate of thrombotic and thromboembolic events provides strong support of the safety profile of convalescent plasma, even among hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. Read the letter.