Convalescent Plasma Therapy in Four Critically Ill Pediatric Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case Series

Schwartz, Stephanie P.; Thompson, Peyton; Smith, Melissa; Lercher, Daniel M.; Rimland, Casey A.; Bartelt, Luther; Park, Yara A.; Weiss, Susan; Markmann, Alena Janda; Raut, Rajendra; Premkumar, Lakshmanane; Kuruc, JoAnn; Willis, Zachary

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a pandemic with no specific therapeutic agents or vaccination. Small published case series on critically ill adults suggest improvements in clinical status with minimal adverse events when patients receive coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma, but data on critically ill pediatric patients are lacking. We report a series of four critically ill pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure who received coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma as a treatment strategy for severe disease. CASE SUMMARY: Patients ranged in age from 5 to 16 years old. All patients received coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma within the first 26 hours of hospitalization. Additional disease modifying agents were also used. All patients made a full recovery and were discharged home off of oxygen support. No adverse events occurred from the coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma transfusions. CONCLUSION: Coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma is a feasible therapy for critically ill pediatric patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Well-designed clinical trials are necessary to determine overall safety and efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma and additional treatment modalities in pediatric patients.