{"id":6979,"date":"2020-04-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=6979"},"modified":"2021-07-28T16:25:04","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T16:25:04","slug":"multicare-announces-new-covid-19-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/multicare-announces-new-covid-19-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"MultiCare announces new treatment for COVID-19 patients, seeks plasma donations","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

By MultiCare Health System<\/strong><\/p>\n

MultiCare has another treatment option for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.<\/p>\n

The Expanded Access Program for Convalescent Plasma, led by the Mayo Clinic, is for COVID-19 patients who have or are at risk of severe or life-threatening disease. Patients who choose this treatment get a transfusion of plasma donated by people who have recovered from COVID-19, or \u201cconvalescents,\u201d and have since tested negative. The donor plasma contains antibodies that can attack the virus, and early studies have shown that it may help patients recover faster.<\/p>\n

The first three MultiCare patients to get donor plasma were treated April 18.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are treating those who are faring the worst first,\u201d says Scott Meehan Jr., MD,\u00a0the program\u2019s primary investigator for MultiCare\u2019s Puget Sound region hospitals. \u201cSo far, all MultiCare patients who have received this treatment have had advanced illness and been on a ventilator. One patient who received his first treatment on Saturday has been on a ventilator for 20 days.\u201d<\/p>\n

MultiCare\u2019s Institute for Research & Innovation is also treating some COVID-19 patients through its clinical trial of the antiviral drug Remdesivir. That trial should yield conclusive results by the end of this month or early May, MultiCare has said.<\/p>\n

Dr. Meehan, a pulmonary disease specialist, said the plasma option is promising.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the ways that the body can fight viruses is by developing antibodies that can destroy the invading microorganism,\u201d he says. \u201cThese antibodies are present in the blood, specifically in the plasma of the blood. This has worked in previous outbreaks of respiratory diseases like influenza.\u201d<\/p>\n

Providers need more plasma to offer this treatment to more patients. MultiCare encourages eligible people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma at Cascade Regional Blood Services<\/a> or Vitalant<\/a>. Donations to Cascade Regional Blood Services will be sent to MultiCare\u2019s Puget Sound region hospitals, while donations to Vitalant will be directed to MultiCare’s patients in the Inland Northwest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 13 patients waiting for plasma, but they are very sick,” says\u00a0Jeannie Nielson, the Program Manager for Patient Blood Management at MultiCare, who helped organize the health system\u2019s involvement in the expanded access program. “The study is also open to patients with severe \u2014\u00a0as opposed to life-threatening \u2014 disease.”<\/p>\n

Each plasma donation is divided to treat two to four patients. Right now, MultiCare is looking for donors of all blood types, including more rare blood types, AB and B.<\/p>\n

According to Cascade Regional Blood Services, eligible donors must:<\/p>\n