Challenges Faced by Blood Transfusion Services for Recruitment of Convalescent Plasma Donors for COVID-19 Disease in a Tertiary Care Centre in North West India | Chapter 7 | Current Practice in Medical Science Vol. 2

Convalescent blood products are transfused as a proven treatment for infectious disease outbreaks. During the present corona virus epidemic, convalescent plasma operates under the principles of viral neutralisation and passive immunotherapy (COVID-19). Convalescent plasma transfusions may have a therapeutic role as there are no specific preventative or therapeutic options for COVID-19 pneumonia. However, anti-inflammatory cytokines, defensins, pentraxins, and other immunomodulatory proteins may have a role in reducing systemic inflammatory response syndrome, the primary pathophysiological basis for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and mortality from COVID-19 pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to determine the difficulties blood transfusion facilities experienced while trying to find convalescent plasma donors. The retrospective study examined the challenges blood transfusion facilities encountered while trying to find donors for COVID-19 convalescent plasma as well as the strategies they employed to increase donation rates. This study assessed the following factors: 1. Difficulties encountered in locating recently recovered COVID-19 patients to serve as CCP donors; 2. Establishing a plasmapheresis facility; 3. The role of social media in locating convalescent plasma donors; 4. The financial implications of convalescent plasma donation; 5. The role of NGOs in locating donors; and 6. Success in organising donor mobilisation and plasma collection. The recruitment of Convalescent Plasma donors from COVID-19 recovered patients is a serious challenge for blood transfusion centres. To encourage donations, it is important to employ personnel communication, conventional mass media such as radio, posters, newspapers, and online social media.

Author(s) Details:

Anjali Handa,

Department of Immuno Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, SMS Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, India.

Sunita Bundas,

Department of Immuno Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, SMS Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, India.

Ashok Pal,

Department of Immuno Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, SMS Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, India.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CPMS-V2/article/view/7346