1.
Red Cell Exchange as Adjunctive Therapy for Babesiosis: Is it Really Effective?
Tannous T, Cheves TA, Sweeney JD
Transfusion medicine reviews. 2021
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a parasitic disease prevalent in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States (US). Treatment with antibiotics is the standard of care but red cell exchange (RCE) has been used as an adjunctive treatment in more severe disease. Data for the efficacy of RCE in the treatment of babesiosis has been based on case reports and case series. An English language literature search was conducted for cases of babesiosis treated with RCE since 1980 and relevant laboratory and clinical outcome data were extracted. Similar data were obtained on severe cases of babesiosis referred for RCE in our hospitals in the time period 2000 to 2020. Fifty reports including forty-one individual case reports and nine case series were retrieved. There were 108 patients that underwent RCE with an overall mortality rate of 20%. Some patients had more than one RCE. The patients varied in the level of anemia and evidence of compromise of renal or pulmonary function. The pre-RCE level of parasitemia varied between 1.7% to 85% with the vast majority >10%. The post-RCE level of parasitemia varied between 1% to 10%. Since 2000, 32 patients were referred for RCE in our hospitals and RCE was performed on 23 of 32. There were more patients treated with RCE in the second decade as compared to the first decade, 19 versus 4 respectively. The overall mortality was 22% similar to the national data. Comparing the cohort treated with RCE to the 9 patients who were treated only with antibiotics, there were similar levels of parasitemia and laboratory parameters. The overall number of days needed to achieve a parasite count <1% was similar between the two cohorts and mortality for the antibiotics only cohort was 0%. More than 40 years after the first reported case of RCE in severe babesiosis it cannot be concluded that this adjunctive therapy favorably influences the clinical outcome. Since there is largely equipoise, a registry of severe patients treated with or without RCE could identify a benefit or otherwise.
2.
Blood transfusion for treating malarial anaemia
Meremikwu M, Smith HJ
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 1999;((4):):CD001475.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood transfusion is used in patients with severe malarial anaemia, but risks adverse reactions, transmission of disease, and is complicated to organise in developing countries. OBJECTIVES This review evaluates the effects of routine blood transfusion for severe anaemia on death and adverse outcomes in malarious areas. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register (July 2006), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2006), MEDLINE (1966 to July 2006), EMBASE (1980 to July 2006), LILACS (July 2006), and reference lists of relevant articles. We contacted researchers and organizations working in the field. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised and quasi-randomised trials of blood transfusion compared with conservative management in malaria-associated severe anaemia. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Trials were identified and data extracted by a single reviewer (MM) and checked by a second (HS). Inclusion criteria were applied and data were extracted independently by both reviewers. MAIN RESULTS Two randomised trials of 230 children were included. In the transfusion group, there was a non-signficant tendency towards fewer deaths (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.06 to 2.70), but a trend towards more severe adverse events (RR 8.60, 95% CI 1.11 to 66.43). In one trial by Bojang (1997a) respiratory distress was less common and hospital stay was shorter in the transfusion group (WMD 1.88 days, 95% CI 2.41 to 1.35). Subsequent need for urgent blood transfusion was less common in the transfusion group (RR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.68). Day 28 packed cell volume was less in the transfusion group (WMD -1.34, 95% CI -2.57 to -0.11). There was no information on HIV or Hepatitis B virus transmission. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There is insufficient data to be sure whether routinely giving blood to clinically stable children with severe anaemia in endemic malarious areas reduces death, or results in higher haematocrit measured at one month.