Benefits of plasma exchange on mortality in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic continues, and the death toll continues to surge. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) on mortality in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A systematic search was made of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov, without language restrictions. Controlled clinical trials on treatment of COVID-19 with TPE, compared with standard of care, were reviewed. Studies were pooled according to risk ratios (RRs) and weighted mean differences, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of six trials (enrolling 343 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Therapeutic plasma exchange showed significant effect on mortality (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.69; P = 0.0008). CONCLUSION: TPE significantly reduced mortality in hospitalized patients with moderate-to-critical COVID-19. Plasma exchange therapy should be considered for patients with COVID-19.