Effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy in a patient with severe COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury.

Abstract

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly evolved into a global pandemic. Recent findings indicate an increased risk for kidney involvement, including progressive acute kidney injury (AKI) during COVID-19 infection, specifically in critically ill patients, and associated with high mortality rates. As no specific treatment options exist for AKI secondary to COVID-19, intensive care is largely supportive with a frequent need for renal replacement therapy (RRT). Convalescent plasma (CP) has been approved as an emergency investigational drug with clinical benefits in observational studies. We described a first case of a patient with severe COVID-19 and AKI who had remarkable improvement in his respiratory status and in kidney function following CP therapy. Our findings demonstrate important therapeutic implications of effective multimodality therapy including CP when treating patients with COVID-19 and AKI.